And we all return to our roots
by Mignon19001
Summary: Narcissa can't fight the demons that plague her at night. Especially the mistake she had made twelve years ago. Draco has become used to his mothers declining mental health, expecting it was the after effects of the second wizard war. That was until he stumbled upon a muggle photograph on his mothers bedside table. That was when he began to question things.
1. I'm a survivor

(Hey everyone, I decided to take a break from my big bang theory fic and get rid of this plot bunny that's been creeping in my head for the past couple months! This story will have a mixture of light and dark moments so heed warning. It also won't be completely focused on a certain couple. I tried to stick to the Harry Potter series as much as possible. Everyone who died in the books is still dead. I just added a little bit of my own imagination to things :) Not to mention making Andromeda Tonks (nee Black) a more important character, and adding an OC character of my own. Feedback and ideas are always welcome.)

_**Chapter One: I'm a Survivor**_

_I don't believe in self pity_

_It only brings you down_

_May be the queen of broken hearts_

_But I don't hide behind the crown_

_When the deck is stacked against me_

_I just play a different game_

_My roots are planted in the past_

_And though my life is changing fast_

_Who I am is who I want to be_

_The baby girl without a chance_

_A victim of circumstance_

_The one who ought a give up,but she's just_

_Too hard headed!_

_A single mom who works two jobs_

_Who loves her kids and never stops_

_With gentle hands and a heart of a fighter_

_I'm a survivor_

_~Reba McEntire_

It was an unusually hot June night as Andromeda Tonks made her way slowly up the stone stairs of Malfoy Manor. Receiving an unexpected owl from her

younger sister Narcissa, she knew not what to think, or even why she bothered to show up. Andromeda was disowned by her family when she decided to

to marry Ted Tonks; a Muggle born wizard. It had been many years since she had heard from her little sister. Of course it wasn't a normal letter asking one

how they were doing. This was a cry for help. Taking each step carefully, she thought of what Narcissa had written.

_Dearest Dromeda, _

_I know it has been years since we last spoke, but I need your help. The times are going to be changing, and I am fearful..._

_Something unexpected for lack of better words has happened and I have no one but you to turn to. A fortnight ago I gave birth to another child._

_A daughter, much to Lucius' displeasure. He suspects her a squib on top of being a female that never should have been born to a Malfoy heir. _

_I'm sure you have heard about the mysterious death that occured at the Triwizard Tournament, and the rumors that the Dark Lord has returned. You also_

_are probably figuring my husbands' involvement as you read this as well. I assure you they are not rumors. Lucius is very upset that the baby can put us at risk, and _

_in bad graces with the Dark Lord. _

_I will cut this letter short. Please Dromeda, take her. I fear Lucius might go to any lengths to conceal her birth, even resorting to disposing her. _

_I hope you will come._

_Your sister,_

_Cissy_

_P.S. Destroy this letter after you have read it._

Andromeda shook her head sadly at the thought of her sister trying to get rid of her newborn daughter. She told no one as she knew her husband nor her own daughter would ever have approved of her agreeing to this. She had always been a sucker for situations like this. She couldn't just let something horrible happen to an innocent child. She didn't even heed time to think whether or not she would regret becoming involved with her sister and her "kind", she reached the door and raised her hand to knock. Before she had the chance however, it opened up to reveal a pale and disheveled Narcissa Malfoy.

Narcissa looked at her sister with gratitude; a first in years for Andromeda. "Thank you for responding to my letter..." she started, but her sister waved a hand to silence her. "I came because I was scared for the child that you apparently have no will nor gumption to protect yourself."

Narcissa looked at her stricken "I'm doing this for my daughter. I want to give her a chance at a normal life away from all of this." Tears were forming in her eyes "You know Lucius will never accept her."

Andromeda looked at her sister and felt pity. This was the reason she herself had never fit in with the house of Black. The women were nothing but pawns to be controlled by whatever suiter they were arranged to marry. She knew all too well that Lucius Malfoy had inherited his cruel and domineering personality from his father and numerous male ancestors before him. She knew how he treated her sister for the most part. Narcissa was beneath him for the simple fact that she was female. In the Malfoy family there were never female heirs. Rumor had it that girls were disposed of in fear they would weaken the Malfoys' precious pure blood. To them, women were unreliable and could bring shame on the family. Much like Andromeda did to her own.

"I understand Cissa..." she replied quietly, trying to control the urge inside her to slap the woman for being so weak. "How kind of Lucius to let the girl live..." she continued bitterly.

"Despite what you believe, Lucius is not that heartless." Narcissa paused. Andromeda knew she was choosing her words wisely. "I'm sure he cares...he just..." Once again her sister cut her off.

"I don't have time to listen to you making excuses for your husband. Where is the child?"

Narcissa wiped a few stray tears from her eyes as she turned, leading Andromeda into the house. The door shut behind them quietly, as they headed up the stone stairs to the second floor of the manor. She followed Narcissa into the last room on the left. It appeared to be her own bedroom. The only thing that stood out in the unnaturally tidy room was a squirming bundle in the middle of the king sized bed. Narcissa quickly walked over to the bed and picked it up, turning to face her sister. Andromeda looked at the wiggling infant and couldn't help but smile. The baby had the blondest hair she had ever seen, and big grey eyes. "She's gorgeous Cissy..." she whispered, reaching out to touch a little hand. When she looked up at Narcissa, she could tell on her face that she was breaking inside.

"Does she have a name?"

"Yes. Alexandrina..." her voice broke "Alexandrina Narcissa Viktoria." she looked down at her daughter and smiled weakly "She looks just like her brother did when he was a baby...he would have loved her." she laughed hysterically through her tears. "Draco always used to beg us for a baby sister when he was little...not a brother who could upstage him, just a little sister..."

Andromeda reached out and touched her shoulder "Does your son know that you were...expecting?"

Narcissa nodded "He was frustrated. Figured it was a boy who would be his rival. He's growing more like his father in that aspect. I sent him an owl informing him that the baby did not make it. That way he won't bother to ask questions. He just turned fifteen a couple of weeks ago...a fifteen year old boy doesn't need to know..."

Andromeda didn't press the subject any further. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you Cissy." Narcissa gently handed Alexandrina to her sister and quickly turned away from them. "You have no idea...how hard...this is. Please, take her and go. I...I can't." She dropped down onto the bed and put her head in her hands.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of her." Andromeda spoke after a minute. She looked down at Alexandrina, who looked right back at her with mild curiosity.

"I can already tell she's going to be wonderful..."

"Thank you." Narcissa managed to say finally.

Andromeda took one last look at her heartbroken sister before she apparated. At the sound of the pop Narcissa turned to find she was now alone.

"Goodbye Drina...I love you..."

**Two years later : May **

Andromeda sat at the kitchen table, clutching the letter that Minerva Mcgonagall's owl had sent. A week ago she had thought her world had ended when her husband Ted was murdered by Death Eater Snatchers a few months before that. This however, was something she never wanted to receive. Her daughter Nyphadora and her husband Remus had perished at the Battle of Hogwarts. While the wizarding world was rejoicing at the downfall of the Dark Lord, she was mourning the loss of her family. The sound of small footsteps descending the stairs made Andromeda turn to see a small little girl with white blonde hair enter the room. She smiled slightly as the child rubbed the sleep from her stormy grey eyes "Aunt Annie, Teddy crying again."

Sure enough, when Andromeda focused herself she could hear the wails of her grandson coming from up the stairs. "Sorry darling, Auntie was just thinking..." She placed the letter on the table and followed Alexandrina up the stairs.

"You sad cause Dora and Remy went to heaven?" Drina turned to look up at her. Andromeda was surprised at how aware the child of not yet three was.

"Who told you that?" Andromeda reached the children s room and retrieved a crying Teddy from his crib.

"Mione..." was the little one's response. She smiled warmly at her niece and sat in the rocking chair, holding the now consoled baby boy close, letting her tears fall freely.

Alexandrina tugged at her white nightgown silently, her little face screwed tight with contemplation. She then walked over to her aunt and touched her leg. "They is with the father auntie." She pointed up towards the ceiling. "He take care of them, and I take care of you and Teddy."

**July**

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed the house elves had set the manor back to the way it was before Voldemort and his cronies had moved in. She and Draco had just returned from Lucius' trail for being aid to Voldemort and a Death Eater. Three years in Azkaban was a light sentence, compared to the others who got life or worse; the dementors' kiss.

"Mother..." Draco spoke as he entered the room, causing her to snap back to the present.

"Yes sweetie?"

"Blinky said this letter came for you...it doesn't say who it is from." He handed her the sealed note, eyeing her carefully.

Narcissa took it from her son and hugged him lightly, making him look at her even more confused. "Thank you. I think I will retire. I am really exhausted." She left him standing there awkwardly.

When she reached her bedroom, she shut the door behind her. Sitting down on the bed, she broke the wax seal of the envelope and pulled a letter out. She noticed that a photograph had fallen into her lap. She gently picked it up and turned it over. It was a simple Muggle photograph, but that didn't stop the overload of emotions that hit her.

She recognized her niece Nymphadora with bubblegum pink hair, smiling broadly with a newborn baby bundled in blue with turquoise colored hair. Next to her was her husband Remus Lupin, grinning proudly with a little girl in his arms. She was leaning over their new son, planting a kiss on his little head. A little girl in a white lacy dress that went well with her bleached blonde curls. The back of the picture read "Drina saying hi to her new cousin Teddy."

Narcissa quickly wiped her eyes to prevent her tears from contaminating this treasure. She then picked up the letter and read,

_"Dearest Cissy,_

_I thought you would like the picture. Drina (who now wants to be called Alex) is growing to be an amazing little girl. She's very intelligent and reminds me a lot of you when you were a little girl. I heard about Lucius, and I am sorry. I hope you and Draco remain strong during this time. I am writing to inform you that i am taking the children and leaving the country. Not much is left for us here. I am sure you can understand why. I just thought telling you was the right thing to do (considering the circumstances)_

_Best of luck to your family, _

_Andromeda_

Narcissa folded the letter quietly and took the picture again into her hands. _'Even if I wanted her back...she looks so happy. A perfect fit, and a baby brother to look after,' _She thought with bitter sadness. After an unknown amount of time, she finally got up and placed the photo along with the letter in her beside table. Not a day would go by that she would not look at that picture; mourning the loss of what could have been.


	2. And we all return to our roots

**(Thanks for the follows everyone! It's really appreciated! Sorry this chapter isn't very long. I promise to make it up with the chapters to come! Mind you this is going to be a slow paced story.)**

**Chapter Two: And We all Return to our roots**

_This letter's sealed with a kiss_

_Sent with a promise_

_Of a better life with a better view_

_I'd rather move than watch you_

_Damn the gods with things from a life now lost_

_We can patch this up the boat's not sinking_

_We're still afloat and we're singing_

_All I want_

_All I want_

_Is a little place of my own where I can rest my head_

_Drink up darling_

_We can save this 'till the morning_

_When we have clear eyes and the peace of mind to work this out_

_You need a raise? you haven't slept in how many days?_

_The feelings creeping up that you're never going to win_

_You have to remember we are rising_

_We are the ones back to our roots_

_We are the dust that lies in you_

_We are the ones in too deep_

_We are the ones we are_

_All I want (We are the ones back to our roots)_

_All I want (We are the dust that lies in you)_

_Is a little place of my own (We are the ones in too deep)_

_Where I can rest my head (We are the ones we are)_

_The Forecast_

"How's your mother been doing?" Blaise Zabini asked Draco as they sat at the Leaky Cauldron, enjoying a nice glass of firewhiskey after a long day of work

at the ministry. Both men currently worked as Aurors for the Ministry of Magic alongside Harry Potter, much to Malfoy's displeasure. Despite the fact that they

put their differences aside at the end of the war, Draco still couldn't stand Potter and his 'Saintly" ways.

"Stays in her room a lot. She's always more depressed this time of the year for some reason..."

"Yeah, she gave birth to you twenty seven years ago today. I'd be pretty damn depressed myself."

Draco scowled at his friend "Screw you."

"Just joking mate." Blaise laughed and clapped him hard on the back. "It's probably memories of the war. It's been nine years just last month."

"More than likely," Draco muttered, wishing to change the subject. He was never one to discuss his family business, especially when it came to the second w

wizarding war. The Death Eater mark on his arm was reminder enough of how idiotic he had been.

"I think I'm going to shove off, I have a pile of work to finish before tomorrow thanks to Potter..." he spoke bitterly as he stood up, taking one last drink of

whiskey.

"Yeah, I heard he went abroad again on family business. I didn't even know he had a family...well besides those Weasels, and his Godson."

Draco shrugged "Who cares. All I know is i'm getting annoyed at taking up his slack. Well, I'll see you tomorrow." and with that he headed back to Malfoy Manor.

00000

Everything was just as it was when he went to work that morning. His father Lucius was currently in his study, drinking himself into an oblivion. Something

Lucius did a lot more since he was released from Azkaban six years ago. Draco's mother, Narcissa was nowhere in sight, which meant she had taken to her

bed once more. He didn't even bother to knock on the bedroom door, he knew the only answer he would receive were the words she cried in her sleep.

"My baby...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Narcissa would repeat over and over again. Turning the knob, Draco entered the bedroom and made his way over to his

tormented mother.

"Mum. Are you alright?" Draco sat on the bed beside her and touched her arm. She jerked away from his touch and curled up in a fetal position. It hurt how

distant his mother had become towards him. Narcissa used to dote on her son, unlike his father. Now, she barely could look him in the eyes without tearing up.

He and his father had taken her to a few healers but none of their treatments ever seemed to get rid of the depression that now surrounded her.

He sighed and withdrew his hand, glancing around the room. It was obvious that Narcissa hadn't left the room that day. Trays of uneaten food lay on the

dresser, where the house elves left them in hopes their mistress would eat something.

Draco ran a hand through his feathery blonde hair and opened the bedside drawer in hopes of finding a sleeping draft to give his ailing mother. Setting atop a

bundle of letters was the back of an old photograph that read _"Drina saying hi to her new cousin Teddy."_ Draco's brow furrowed in confusion as he turned it

over and stared at the muggle photograph. The man and woman were very familiar, in fact the man had been Draco's Defense Against The Dark Arts

teacher back in his third year. The woman he had never met personally, but he knew it was his cousin Nyphadora Tonks, which meant the baby was obviously

Harry's Godson Theodore Lupin. What puzzled him though, was the little blonde girl. _"Drina?" _He felt like he was staring at a tiny female version of himself, and

it was unnerving.

"Mum...who is this kid?" He asked after a few minutes. To his surprise Narcissa bolted upright in the bed and went to reach for the photograph. "It's no one..."

"How come she looks like me? I know that's Lupin and Tonks and their kid...who is the little girl?" He asked again, keeping the photo out of his mother's reach.

"You weren't supposed to know. You were too young to understand." She sat up slowly, putting her head in her hands, letting out a loud sob. "I...we didn't

have a choice."

"What are you going on about mother. What choice didn't you have?"

"To keep her..."

Draco pinched his fingers on the bridge of his nose, trying to comprehend what he was hearing "So this little girl...she's yours...I mean you and dads'. I don't

understand..." he looked back at the photo "Tonks' son is only like nine. I know I have seen him with Potter. That's his godson. So what...I have a sister who's

like thirteen?"

Narcissa shook her head "She'll be twelve on the twenty-sixth...I named her Alexandrina..."

"So she's at Hogwarts? A second year?"

Once again Narcissa shook her head "Things were complicated. Your father; he never wanted a daughter, and well he knew she was a squib when she was

born." She glanced at her son and noticed that his breathing became irregular. There was a glare in his eyes that reminded her of his father.

"So you pretty much just tossed her away." He threw the photo to the ground and got up "So that's what this has all been? A guilty conscious?" His voice grew

louder. Draco was never one to argue with his parents, but there were just some things he could't keep silent about. This mainly was it.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy don't you dare assume you even know..." She choked "I wanted her more than anything. Your father made the choice for me. Claimed that

Voldemort would find our bloodline tainted because he had a squib for a daughter. So I did the only thing I could do..."

Draco scoffed "Oh and what was that?"

"I gave her to my sister Andromeda...and..." Narcissa strained to get the words out through her sobs "after the war...I want...I wanted to get her back...but

she would never know who I was. She looked so happy. I couldn't tear her away from the only mother she knew. Andromeda took the kids and left the country

after she lost Nymphadora. I never heard from her again." Narcissa broke down completely, falling to her hands and knees in pure agony. "Letting your father

force me to give away my daughter was the biggest mistake of my life. In a way though, I am glad. I hope she grow to be independent and free. Something

that your father would have beaten out of her."

Draco looked down at his mother and sighed. He knew he couldn't stay angry at his mother. She was the victim in all of this, despite what someone from the

outside might think. He kneeled down in front of his mother and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "I know mum. I'm sorry."

0000

Later that night Draco sat in his study, contemplating everything that he had discovered today. He kept the photograph and found that he could not stop

staring at this small, female version of himself. Despite what his mother thought, it wouldn't be too hard to find her. He knew that his aunt Andromeda was the

one who had taken her in. She also took care of her grandson Teddy; Potter's godson. _"He knows her...but does he know who she is?" _He didn't even know why

he even cared. Normally he was nothing but a selfish prat who had only himself and his family in mind. _"But she is my family...Perhaps this could help my mother" _

Draco pushed himself out from the desk and turn the lights off with a flick of his wand. Tomorrow he would find out where Andromeda Tonks had fled to. He

couldn't go straight to Potter, so he would ask the next best person. A certain bushy haired witch who worked in the Improper Use of Magic office at the

ministry.


	3. What you wish for

**(Sorry this chapter wasn't as long as I promised. Had a long night at work. Lost one of my favorite residents' :( Anyways I hope you like it so far! ) **

**Chapter Three: What you wish for**

_Woke up today to everything grey_

_And all that I saw just kept going on and on_

_Sweep all the pieces under the bed _

_Close all the curtains and cover my head _

_And what you wish for won't come true _

_You aren't surprised love, are you? _

_If this serenade is not what you want _

_It's just how it is, it keeps going on and on _

_Come out, come out where ever you are _

_Would you do it all over right from the start _

_And what you wish for won't come true _

_You aren't surprised love, are you? _

_So what you wish for won't come true _

_You aren't surprised love, are you? _

_Once had this dream, crashed down in Oz _

_Not black and white, but where the colors are _

_I never dreamed that I would let her go _

_And I will get what I deserve _

_Keep all the secrets under the bed _

_Open the curtains, forget what I said _

_And what you wished for could come true _

_You aren't surprised love, are you? _

_So what you wished for could come true _

_You aren't surprised love, are you?_

_~Guster_

Draco walked into the Improper Use Of Magic's office feeling extremely on edge. He had seen Hermione Granger day after day walking past him to get to

own department, but they never made eye contact. Not that he blamed her. The last time he and Granger even spoke was at Malfoy Manor during the war. It

was a promise that neither would mention the Imperius Curse Bellatrix had placed upon him in order to 'get the mudblood to spill.' Despite the fact that she

told him she forgave him, and that he didn't know what he was doing, her screams haunted his dreams for years. Now, they both felt most comfortable

pretending they didn't exist to one another. He knew deep down she dispised him for stealing her innocence, so he did her a solid and kept far away. Draco

found her setting at her desk half buried beneath a pile of paperwork. Blowing a piece of her bushy brown hair from her eyes, she jumped at the sound of the

door closing. She looked up at Draco and frowned "I'm kinda busy here Malfoy..."

He told himself that he would try being civil towards Hermione but her first reaction caused him to sneer "I'll bet. Must take hours to keep that rats nest in

check."

Hermione pushed herself from her desk and stood up. She definitely had filled out since she was eighteen, but she still had that prudish attitude about her.

"What the hell do you want?" She spat, glaring at him.

_"Might as well get straight to the point here...' _he thought briefly "Drina..."

Hermione's eyes went wide as saucers for a brief moment before they went back to their originally scowl of hatred "I don't know what the hell you're going

on about."

"Really? So even though you and Potter are still buddy buddy, you have no idea where Potter's Godson lives? I find that hard to believe..."

She brushed the hair once more from her eyes and shook her head "Yes...I mean no...I mean, why do you care?"

"Because I know for a fact that Theodore's grandmother, my aunt Andromeda is also raising a little girl. Is she not?"

"That's none of your business Malfoy. Now please leave."

Draco groaned growing impatient "Granger...please...I need to know."

Hermione was about to speak when a paper airplane flew into the room, landing on Hermione's desk. She looked at Draco and then went to pick the letter up.

"It's from the head of my department...I have to go." she crumbled the letter and walked past him, headed towards the door. She stopped briefly "There isn't

a Drina that lives with Andromeda..."

"Don't lie..." Draco began, but it was apparent that Hermione was not finished speaking.

"There _is _an Alex..." and with that she was gone.

Draco stood there numbly for a few minutes until he heard a strange sound. He glanced around the door and seen that music was coming from Hermione's

purse. Never being one to respect people's personal property, Draco walked over and picked up the bag. Reaching inside he pulled out the source of the music.

It was a weird square contraption with a screen. He furrowed his brow _'Must be one of those muggle contraptions called cell phones". _On the screen was a

message "New message from Alex" His breathing stopped momentarily "_Can't be..." _He fumbled with the phone and pressed the read button.

_"Hey Mione. Can't wait to see you at the competition tonight! Me and my bro getting ready for my performance!" _He used his finger to scroll down the message to

show a picture of two kids. A boy with mousy brown hair that had some streaks of turquoise in it. Draco could tell at once this was Potter's godson Teddy. It

was the girl that made Draco turn pale. The girl had her arms wrapped around the little boy grinning. A girl with long blonde wavy hair with a powder white tutu

that had gold floral embroidery. The beautiful gold circlet she wore around her head made her stormy grey eyes more pronounced. Her grin was more like a

smirk, that famous smirk he was always known for.

"Going through my stuff are you?" A voice made Draco drop the phone to the floor and look up. Hermione stood there with her arms crossed. She saw the

shocked expression on his face and rolled her eyes as she snatched the phone up from the ground and looked at it. "Pretty weird how much she looks like

you huh?"

"I uh...yeah..." He was at a loss for words.

"Why the sudden interest to get in contact with your sister? You didn't give a shit for the past twelve years. Why now?"

"I didn't even know she existed until yesterday you damn fool..." He snapped at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Yeah, whatever. If you must know my mother hasn't been the same for years...I found out that she was the reason..." He nodded towards the phone. "Does

she know?"

"You mean that her mother gave her up because her father was a pureblood prick? Oh yeah. She's not stupid. She knows everything."

"At least she has had someone who is honest with her..." He muttered more to himself than to Hermione.

Hermione stood there watching him run a hand nervously through his hair. It has been nearly ten years since that incident between them, yet she still felt

nervous near him. It wasn't his fault, but it was not something that could ever be taken back. The horrible experience she had with him turned her off to any

hopes of a relationship with Ron, who was now happily engaged to Lavender Brown. It was strange to see him standing in front of her so conflicted. If she

didn't know any better, she swore she could see pain in his eyes.

"What the hell is she wearing?" He asked out of nowhere, making Hermione chuckle.

"It's a tutu, she's been in ballet and dance since she was like three. Damn good dancer too, wins first place every time."

He nodded shortly "So she's being raised as a muggle then?"

"Yes, an American muggle at that..."

"American?"

"Yeah...Andromeda and the kids moved to Georgia nine years ago..." They both were silent for a few minutes before Hermione spoke again "If you want...you

can come meet her. As you have read, I am going to be seeing her tonight."

Draco shrugged "She doesn't know who I am..."

Hermione rolled her eyes "Didn't I just tell you she knows about everything? Including you."

"I wouldn't be opposed to attending..." He said curtly.

"Fine. Meet me at the burrow at seven o-clock. The Weasleys' are the only ones with a floo connection directly to Andromeda's living room."

Draco simply nodded refraining from saying any more. As he left he had a strange thought that popped into his head. Something that he hadn't really thought

since he was seven years old and his mother told him she was having a baby (the first of numerous 'miscarriages' Narcissa would have.) _"I have a sister?" _


	4. Only Prettier

**(Ok you guys here is chapter four! I hope you all like it! ) **

**Chapter Four: Only Prettier **

_Well I've been saved by the grace of southern charm_

_I got a mouth like a sailor and yours is more like a hallmark card_

_If you wanna pick a fight well I'm gonna have to say good night_

_I don't have to be hateful, I can just say bless your heart_

_And even though I don't belong with your high life friends_

_Doesn't mean we don't get together and try to make amens_

_It's easier can you see lets agree to just disagree_

_We don't have to like each other but its sure fun to pretend_

_So lets shake hands and reach across those party lines_

_You got your friends just like I got mine_

_We might think a little differently_

_But we got a lot in common you will see_

_We're just like you, only prettier_

_~Miranda Lambert_

Draco had left work early that day due to the fact that he just couldn't focus on any of the paperwork that piled his desk. He really didn't expect to be meeting

a long lost sibling so soon.

_'What do I even say to her? Hi, I'm Draco, your brother. Sorry, didn't really know that you existed till a few days ago, but hey I have a favor to ask of you. Would you _

_come meet the mother that gave you up?' _Draco shook his head at the thought '_Yeah, because that would not be awkward in the least.' _

At home he avoided both of his parents though that was not that difficult;both were in their own worlds. After an hour of trying to figure out what muggles

would consider 'normal' dress attire, he settled on black slacks and grey button up shirt, because he saw Potter and Weasel constantly dressed like this.

He no longer held his prejudice towards non magic folk, but he couldn't help but feeling annoyed that his own flesh and blood mingled with those who had

no idea there was in fact a wizarding world. It made him even angrier to think that Granger and her two dimwitted friends had a close relationship with his

sister that he should have had. Not that he really cared anyways. He kept telling himself that he wouldn't let his distaste for muggle life style, at least not

tonight. He was doing this for his mother; no other reason.

Draco apparated to the burrow at the time that Hermione had told him. He stood at the front door for a minute praying to the gods that she was there. He

didn't think anything could be weirder then just randomly showing up at the Weasleys' house and they were clueless. Knocking on the door a few times, it

didn't take Molly Weasley long to come to the door. To his surprise she smiled at him "Oh, Draco we were wondering when you will be showing up." She

noticed the gaping expression on his face and just patted him on the shoulder "Hermione told me. It's sad that you had to find out this way. With Andromeda

it's always been a don't ask don't tell sort of thing when it comes to Alex. I mean, we always figured, but never asked."

"Uh, yeah..." Draco stuttered slightly rubbing the back of his neck "Definitely came as a surprise to me..." _'Why is she being so nice to me? I was cruel to her _

_children all throughout school. Then there was the war that claimed Fred..." _

Hermione came into the room and gave him an up and down glance "Good. You're not wearing robes." Looking at her made him feel that he dressed up

a bit too much. She was wearing a simple tight fitted t shirt and skinny jeans.

"I figured that would have made me stand out..." He shrugged. This was just weird for him; it only got stranger when Ron, Ginny and Harry entered the room in

jeans and sweatshirts. "Hey Malfoy." Ginny said casually as she strolled over to Hermione's side to talk to her "We better get going. The competition starts

in an hour." She turned to her brother and fiance "You guys have fun tonight."

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. It would only be Granger and the Weaselette going tonight. He ignored the glares he got from Harry and Ron turned to talk to

Hermione "So, we're getting there by floo?"

She nodded "Yeah. It was the easiest option. Since Andromeda moved to the states, having her connection to the house through floo made the most sense."

"Does my aunt know that I'm coming?"

"Yeah. She's eager to see you again. Told us last time she saw you, you were still in nappies.." Ginny snorted as she answered him.

Molly had left the room for a few minutes and came back with her pot of floo powder. "Tell Alex best of luck for me will you girls?" Hermione and Ginny both

nodded as they grabbed a handful of the dirt. Molly then turned to Draco with the warmest smile he had ever seen someone give him " Don't be nervous dear.

Just remember to say Savannah. It goes directly to Andromeda's living room."

He stared at her blankly and then gave her a small smile before he grabbed some powder himself. He turned to find that Hermione and Ginny had already

disappeared into the flames. Stepping into the flames, he threw the powder onto the fire, turning it green and said carefully "Savannah"

**Savannah, Georgia**

Alex Malfoy sat in front of her dresser mirror applying eye shadow as she sung along to a song playing on the radio _"Right now he's probably slow dancing_

_ with a bleached-blond tramp, and she's probably getting frisky...right now, he's probably buying her some fruity little drink 'cause she can't shoot whiskey...Right now,_

_ he's probably up behind her with a pool stick, showing her how to shoot a combo...And he don't know..." _She often listened to her favorite country radio station

when she needed to clear her head from the many thoughts that floated around. A few hours ago her Aunt had come upstairs to tell her that her brother she

never met in her life was coming that night to meet her. She had always wanted to meet the family that gave her up some day, but at this point she was just

filled with anxiety. The person that stared back at her looked much older then her almost twelve years. Her eyes showed wisdom of someone beyond her

years. She was pulled back to reality by the knocking on her door.

"Come in..." She spoke with a southern drawl.

Andromeda walked in and smiled at her "Hermione just got downstairs. Ginny and Draco will be here any minute." Alex turned around in her chair to look at

her aunt. "You're pale today..."

"I'm okay sweetie. You don't have to worry about me..." She recognized the lost look in her nieces' eyes "What's wrong honey?"

Alex shrugged "I don't know. I'm meeting someone I've never met in my life who just happens to share the same biological parents as me. What if he thinks I'm

a freak? My family were Death Eaters and they hated people who didn't have magical ability. It was their folk that killed Remus and Dora"

"Baby, you know I never lie to you. It's true, they were supporters of Voldemort, but I don't think Draco has even believed in that. He was forced to grow up

fast. He was never given a choice in those matters."

Alex smoothed down her tutu and stood up. "Well, lets just get this over with..." She followed behind Andromeda down the stairs and smiled when she saw

Hermione and Ginny standing there. She hopped down the last four stepped and nearly knocked Hermione over with her forceful hug. "Umph! Good to see you

too Alex. Where's Teddy?"

"Out yonder playing by the creek. Wanted me to come but I told him I couldn't get dirty."

Hermione laughed at that "Well Ginny and I will go fetch him..." and with that the two women left out the front.

Alex walked over to the stairs and sat down, staring at the tall blonde man her aunt was hugging in the living room. She tilted her head quizzically to observe

the two of them like specimen as she overheard their conversation.

"It's so nice to see you all grown up. How is your mother?"

"A bit under the weather, but she's otherwise fine."

"She's a bit nervous to meet you..."

"Likewise..."

"Alex honey, come in here. I want you to meet someone..." Andromeda called out to her. Alex felt completely stupid for feeling so anxious at this moment. She

was able to dance and sing in front of large crowds and judges without a flaw, yet here she was speechless and shy as she walked into the living room

standing in front of the two.

Draco looked at Alex and couldn't help but be amazed how similar she and him were. It was one thing seeing pictures which obviously didn't do justice as to

how much Alex resembled both their mother and father therefore in turn him. He couldn't help but smile at the girl as he got down on his knee to be more

her height "I'm Draco...I'm your brother."

"I know. I''m Alex..." She held her petite hand out for a shake. Draco was never one to show emotion of any sort in front of anyone. He just couldn't

understand how his mother could give this beautiful little girl away. He could tell she was scared by the way she fidgeted around. He took her hand gently and

shook it, then pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. "I'm really sorry..." was all he could think of saying.

(I know i totally left a cliffhanger. I'm sorry! I'll post the next chapter in a couple days )


	5. These are my people

**(Here's chapter five! I hope you guys like it! Thanks for the reviews and follows! )**

**Chapter Five: These are my people**

_These are my people_

_This is where I come from_

_We're givin' this life everything we've got and then some_

_It ain't always pretty_

_But it's real_

_That's the way we were made_

_Wouldn't have it any other way_

_These are my people_

_Well we take it all week on the chin with a grin_

_Till we make it to a Friday night_

_And it's church league softball holler 'bout a bad call_

_Preacher breakin' up the fight_

_Then later on at the green light tavern_

_Well everybody's gatherin' as friends_

_And the beer is pourin' till Monday mornin'_

_Where we start all over again_

_We fall down and we get up_

_We walk proud and we talk tough_

_We got heart and we got nerve_

_Even if we are a bit disturbed_

_~Rodney Atkins_

Alex hugged him back awkwardly and stepped back "It's not your fault. You didn't know anything bout me..."

Draco regained his composure quickly. He was never one to show weakness in front of people; this was no different. "Hermione tells me you're quite the

dancer..." He spoke in his normal non emotional drawl, changing the subject completely.

Alex nodded "Yeah. Aunt Annie put me in ballet when i was like three. My instructor says I'm a natural. I also do gymnastics."

He wasn't too familiar with the performing arts. Sure, he knew what muggles considered 'ballroom dancing' thanks to the Twiwizard Tournament in his fourth

year, but the words gymnastics, ballet, and hip-hop just puzzled him. This was a complete different world his sister was living in; even her accent was strange

and exotic sounding.

"We better get going Alex," Andromeda interrupted "Go fetch Teddy and the girls, I'll go start the car." With that Alex sprinted out the front door into the

hot sticky night. Draco could hear her holler "TEDDY, MIONE, GINNY! WE GOTTA GET GOING! NO TEDDY YOU YOU GO PUT THAT FROG BACK, YOU KNOW YOUR

MEEMAW WILL HAVE A FIT IF YOU BRING THAT!"

Andromeda turned to Draco "Well there she is. She's her own person, the way your mother wished her to be." she paused for a moment "How is your mother?"

Draco looked down at the floor and ran a hand through his hair "Depressed...she rarely leaves her room. Keeps my father and I up all night when she

continuously cries how sorry she is."

Andromeda placed a hand on his shoulder "Your mum was heartbroken the night I took Alex, but she did what she thought would keep her daughter safe.

You know more than anyone else here just exactly how prejudice your father was against non magical folk."

The memory of Hermione writhing in pain on the floor of the manor, while his father stood above her sneering made him shudder "Yeah, I do..."

"Well come on, lets get the car started up..." She led Draco through the kitchen and out the back door to the garage. Draco stared at the the large blue

metal contraption muggles called a car.

"You use on of these things?" Draco looked at her skeptically.

"It's called a car dear, well this is actually and SUV, but yes. How else would I get around? Savannah has very few witches and wizards. We have to blend in.

Alex drove it a few times for fun. Though she said when she's old enough she's getting a 67 impala..." she noticed the confused look on her nephews face

"Different type of car... never mind..." Andromeda slid into the drivers seat and started the engine. Draco got in on the passengers side nervously.

"Relax, it's not going to explode..." Andromeda chuckled. When she pulled out of the garage Draco instinctively grabbed onto the dashboard. At the end

of the driveway Hermione, Ginny, and Teddy were waiting by the wooden fence. Alex on the other hand, kept doing back flips down the sidewalk, apparently

in her own little world.

Andromeda looked at her niece and sighed "If that girl could choose to do that instead of walk she would..." she then rolled the window down "Alexandrina

Narcissa Viktoria, get in this car now! It took me three weeks to embroider that outfit, so you better not have gotten it all muddy!"

Alex landed on her feet and turned to look at her "Sorry, I was practicing..." She climbed into the backseat with the others. Andromeda had taken a page from

Arthur Weasleys' book and had the car enchanted to fit everyone comfortably.

Draco looked up at the house nd realized how nice it actually was. It was an small plantation when Georgia was a proud member of the Confederacy.

Hermione felt the need to give everyone a Civil War history lesson, that just went in one ear and out the other for him. _'muggles seem so uncivilized. We never_

_enslaved people because of the color of the of their skin..._" He thought to himself.

"Can we turn on the radio?" Alex moaned impatiently, interrupting Hermione's rant, which made Draco smirk slightly.

"I love you mione, but I have heard that whole 'the old south was gone with the wind' shit since I was in Kindergarten."

Andromeda laughed and flicked on the radio to a Reba McEntire song that Alex sang along to " _No Good, Two Timin', Lies comin' outta your mouth._

_Cheatin', mistreatin' games that you play brought you down. Broke my heart, tore it apart, look who's got the last laugh now. Don't you come crawlin' begging_

_ please on your knees, baby if you're missin' me." _Other than Alex's exceptional singing, the ride was quiet. Draco's thoughts were racing as he was having

mixed thoughts about this whole situation. The hared of muggles that was inbred into him made him feel disgusted, yet every time he looked into the rear

view window at the blonde girl in the backseat, he remembered why he was doing this.

0000

When they arrived at the competition that was taking place at Savannah State University, Teddy jumped out immediately and Ginny scrambled out after him.

Draco got out of the car and looked around; this place was not like England in the least.

"You're just suffering from culture shock. You'll get over it..." Hermione mused. Draco turned his head to find her right beside him.

"You're not going to give a damn lecture on muggle ailments are you?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes "Of course not. Why waste my breath on someone who thinks muggles are muggleborns are inferior and disgusting?"

"Now you're catching on..." He sneered.

"Still denying that you had to touch a mudblood?"

Draco shot daggers at her "We agreed to never talk about that..." He hissed.

"I wish I could forget as easily as you. You were lucky. You didn't lose something that you could never get back. You gave that up to your little whores freely."

and with that she stalked off towards the arts building.

He groaned angrily. This was exactly the reason why he didn't want to talk to Granger. Their past was an extremely touchy subject, and it only made Draco

feel worse knowing that he had been her first.

He snapped back to reality when he noticed Alex get out of the car quickly. She ran around to the other side where Andromeda stood breathing heavily, with

her hands on her knees. She didn't look well earlier, now she was white as a sheet. He overheard the two talking as he walked back towards the car

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you back home?"

"Honey you can't do that."

"I don't give a shit about the law. Do you need the hospital?" Alex put her aunts arm around her and helped her sit back in the car. The maturity in the girls'

voice was alarming.

"No. I'm fine. It's just the treatments, they give you bad side effects..."

"The treatments are making you sick again? They said it would make you better, not so weak you can't even stand..."

"Are you alright?" Draco asked in a sincerely concerned voice. Alex looked up at him wide eyed "Uh, yeah she's fine. Just gets a little light headed once in a

while. Right Aunt Annie?" she looked at her aunt pleadingly. Draco arched an eyebrow at her. She was lying, that much he could tell.

"She's right. I'm fine Draco. Sometimes my blood sugar gets low and I feel faint..." They were both lying, and that confused him even more. It was like he

walked into a secret, only the two of them knew.

He walked over to Andromeda and offered her his hand "I can help you inside." Andromeda nodded weakly and let her nephew help her to her feet. Alex

stepped back and watched them carefully.

00000

Alex trailed behind her aunt and brother til he helped her into her seat next to Hermione, who looked at them strangely. Alex slipped past Draco and bent

down to give Andromeda a big hug " I love you..." and with that she disappeared back stage.

It was an extremely long competition. There were so many dancers performing, but at least Draco was beginning to understand what his sisters' hobby was.

In his opinion the outfits that were worn were way too revealing, especially for someone Alex's age, but he kept his comments to himself.

"Oh! there's Alex!" Ginny whispered excitedly. Sure enough Alex walked to the middle of the stage to begin her lyrical solo. It was unlike anything he ever

seen. He knew his mother would have been awed if she were here to see how beautifully she danced across the stage, how much emotion was in each movement

she made. The song fit perfectly with the routine.

_'She dropped the phone and burst into tears. The doctor just confirmed her fears. Her husband held it in and held her tight. Cancer don't discriminate or care if you're just 38. With three kids who need you in their lives. He said, "I know that you're afraid and I am, too, But you'll never be alone, I promise you"_  
_When you're weak, I'll be strong When you let go, I'll hold on. When you need to cry, I swear that I'll be there to dry your eyes When you feel lost and scared to death,Like you can't take one more step. Just take my hand, together we can do it. I'm gonna love you through it.'_

Draco glanced down the row and noticed the others (even Teddy) watching her every move. He also noticed that Andromeda was the only one silently

crying.

0000

Just as Hermione had told Draco, Alex won first place in her division. As soon as they got back Andromeda told them she was heading to bed. Ginny and

Hermione took it upon themselves to take Teddy upstairs to pack his bags. He was going to be spending a couple weeks with Harry. Ginny was begging Alex

to come as well, but Draco noticed the way she declined "I can't Gin. I'm needed here...besides you know I have school..." She was just as secretive as he was

which made him easily able to see right through her.

Alex walked into the living room dressed in her pajama's, which consisted of some grey and black fuzzy flares with pink skulls on it, and a black tank top. In

her hands she held a large photo album. She stood in the doorway quietly till he noticed her "I'm not going to bite you..."

"I know. It's just...this is weird..." she walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. "I uh, brought this out. I figured you could give this to your I mean

our mom..." She slid the photo album into his lap. "It's just pictures..."

"Obviously..." Draco drawled. "How come you don't want to stay at the burrow with Teddy?" He asked suddenly.

Alex stiffened in her spot and coughed "I told you guys. I'm needed here." She glanced up the stairs nervously; something that he noticed. "Please don't tell

anyone about Aunt Annie's little spell...she gets mighty embarrassed about it..." Something was not quite right, but pretended to remain indifferent. "I won't,

but if you ever need anything...you can always contact me..."

Alex laughed "How? You live in England, and don't know how to use a cell phone."

"You could always send me an owl..." he thought for a moment "Or maybe I could work something out with the ministry to connect the manor to your house by

floo like the Weasleys do."

Alex shrugged "Okay. Well I better go to sleep...unlike Teddy I have school in the morning..." and with that she disappeared up the stairs.

**(The song Alex was dancing to was "I'm gonna love you through it by Martina McBride)**


	6. Seasons of love

**(Here is the sixth chapter like I promised! Also as I said in my note things are going to start getting a lot more dramatic, so heed warning **

**Contains, swearing, sensitive subjects, and adult matter) **

**Chapter Six: Seasons of Love**

**In diapers, report cards**

**In spoke wheels, in speeding tickets**

**In contracts, dollars**

**In funerals, in births**

**In five hundred twenty-five thousand**

**Six hundred minutes**

**How do you figure**

**A last year on earth?**

~Rent

_A few days later_

It was an early Saturday night and Alex was sitting Indian style on her bed, working on her Algebra homework, trying to calm her raging thoughts.

As horrible as it sounded, she was glad that it was just her and her aunt at home. It always took a lot out of her acting the innocent, young niece of

Andromeda's'.

To the outside world they were a normal family. Everyone was happy; truth be told, only Teddys' jovial behavior was genuine. This was because Andromeda

and Alex felt he was too young to know and understand. Her breathing came out in harsh gasps as she placed her head in hands and yanked at the roots of

her hair "_Come on Alex...get it together...' _

_'Can't get it together. You have to get this Algebra done, it's due tomorrow, they might not think you're smart enough to understand it...you'll be put back with the _

_other kids your age. _

_'Come on we know this stuff, we've been doing Algebra for years..." _

_"Then there's the two solos and a group dance you have to work on, that need to be perfect by next week...You only have nine days to work on them and you _

_haven't...and then Aunt __Annie is getting worse...what if she...she's getting so weak...I have to be here to help her...she needs me...' _The hyperventilating was

causing her to get light headed. '_Way to go...give yourself another panic attack Alex. That's just what Aunt Annie needs..." _One little unknown fact about Alex

was that at six she was diagnosed with a Panic and Anxiety disorder, something that was uncommon for a child of that age. The psychiatrist the school sent

her to answered that highly intelligent and creative children often feared failure and disappointing her aunt. Deep down she already felt like she was a

disappointment to her biological mother and father; a witch with a defect that had to be removed. In the muggle world she was smarter then kids her age,

so they just didn't get her.

Alex leaned over and reached into her bedside drawer taking out her prescription of Ativan, she was allowed to take when her anxiety came to the point

of a full blown attack. Taking one out of the bottle, she took a drink of her Mountain Dew and washed it down quickly.

She got up and closed her textbook. After a brief stretch she put her hair into a messy ponytail and paced the room, impatiently waiting for stillness in her

mind. Yesterday hadn't been a good day. Her aunt had been so weak, that Alex called in sick for herself so she could stay home and take care of her. Of course

she got scolded from her aunt for impersonating her when she called the school, but Alex really could care less. Despite how much her aunt claimed she was

fine, Alex knew otherwise. She had convinced her Andromeda that missing a day of school wouldn't hurt her. She was considered in muggle terms exceptionally

bright with an IQ of 158. She was already bumped three grades and after that summer would be a Sophmore in high school, therefore she knew a few

absences won't hurt her grades. She was just about ready to turn her radio on when she heard a loud pop come from outside.

She immediately froze _'That was someone apparating...' _A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Alex quickly hopped from her bed and ran down

the stairs; she didn't want the noise to wake her aunt. _'Please don't be Harry or any of the Weasleys' _she secretly prayed. She hadn't thought of another person

it could possibly be. Opening the door she came face to face with Draco.

He looked at her sternly "Why aren't you in bed? Where's Aunt Andromeda?"

Alex stepped outside onto the porch and shut the door quietly behind her and turned on him "What the fuck are you doing here?"

He definitely didn't expect _that _from her mouth. "Didn't our aunt ever tell you to mind your elders?" He tried to hide the amusement in his voice.

"I reckon she might have said something a time or two..." She walked over to the bench at the far end of the porch and perched onto it. "Seriously though, why

are you here? Why now?"

Draco could sense her hostility and agitation and frowned at her "I have every bloody right to come see you. You are my blood after all..." His reply came out

in more of a harsh and demanding tone then he had intended, but it didn't put Alex in her place one bit.

"We may be kin...sorry i mean brother and sister, but we are so two different people. You're all..." she paused and took a look at the black suit he was wearing

and shook her head "Preppy and hoighty-toighty, and I'm just an all American country girl. From the look of you and what I have heard you were a man whore

at Hogwarts." She saw the confounded look on his face and tilted her head slightly observing him "What? I said man whore, I know what it is. I'm extremely

intelligent for my age."

"That's an understatement..." He scoffed.

"Anyways, from the way you hold yourself, arrogance has always been your main personality trait."

_"Seems like we both have that don't we dear baby sister..." _Draco thought, but instead he just stared at her. He was great at getting under someone's skin. He

was also one to have a hard shell and quick comebacks. The fact that an eleven year old just called him out was plain embarrassing. She was in every way

his sister, that was obvious now. That innocent demeanor she had the first time he met her was gone and her little claws had come out.

"Gods kid, you're too much like me. Arrogant and stubborn." He looked up at down frowning at the short shorts and tank top she was wearing. "Not to mention

acting too old for your age."

"One, everyone dresses like this around here...it's 95 degrees out if you haven't noticed, and two, well when you're eleven with an IQ of 158, and already in

class with fourteen and fifteen year olds you learn to adapt."

Draco growled in frustration. He just wanted to shake her and order her to stop acting so much like him. "Okay, I'll cut right to the chase. Our mother is sick,

and she wants to see you..."

"Welcome to the club..." She muttered as she brought her feet to the ground and kicked at a rock. She was fidgeting a lot and running her hands through her

hair; the loud tap tap tapping of her feet on the wooden porch was slightly annoying him.

"So would you like to see her?" He walked over to the bench and sat down next to her.

Alex breathed raggedly "I don't know, maybe someday, but right now I have to take care of Aunt Annie..." She didn't know why she was telling him this. Either

the Ativan was making her loopy, or for some reason she felt like she found a kindred spirit in this brother she just met.

"What's wrong with her Alex? I know you have been lying. I should know, our family excels at deceit..."

There was a few minutes of silence in which Alex just sat there tap tap tapping, and Draco tried to refrain from scolding her.

"She has Leukemia, it's a form of cancer...she had it before when I was eight. She needed a bone marrow transplant. Luckily i was her match, but it came back.

She just started chemotherapy..." Her tapping became more frequent at that point.

"That sounds serious." Draco spoke in a more gentler voice, when he noticed her breathing was strained, and a hint of panic in her voice she was trying so

desperately to conceal.

"It is...if chemo doesn't work, that's pretty much it." Alex hastily wiped a tear from her pained grey eyes. "She'll get better though, she always does..."

Draco knew nothing about muggle medicine , but the words told him if this last treatment didn't work, she would die. Alex let out a loud breath of relief

"It's actually nice to be able to tell someone all that..."

He looked at her confused "Doesn't anyone know? Potter or Granger?"

Alex shook her head "No. Just me...and now you."

Draco thought he had it bad dealing with their depressed mother; Alex was alone taking care of their dying aunt, and she was just a kid. "Is that why you are

still awake?"

She nodded "Yeah, I also had Algebra and biology homework..."

"Huh? Are those school subjects?" He asked. Draco never knew a muggle, let alone researched into their way of life, so he was at a loss. She was a muggle

though, or growing up as one that is. He figured he should get more acquainted with the muggle way.

"Biology is the study of living organisms. You know, plants, animals, humans. I don't think they have a subject like that at Hogwarts. Then Algebra is a form

of math, kind of like Arithmancy, but it's a lot more complicated. I just can't wait till I can take Physics and Pre-Calculus my junior year. I already know it, but

Aunt Annie said I shouldn't skip anymore grades. She's already uncomfortable with me being in a class with older teenagers..."

"I agree with Andromeda..."

"Course you do. Only Hermione seems to understand my full potential." She sighed and looked back down at the ground. "You still never told me why you came

here so late..." She blinked a few times, and shook her head trying to focus on the porch light. It was the relief of coming down from the anxiety attack, not to

mention it felt nice to actually have someone else who wasn't completely in the dark of Andromeda's illness anymore.

"I wanted to ask you if you would come see our mother sometime soon..."

"Really? At eleven o clock at night?"

Draco shrugged "I just felt like I needed to come by." Truth be told he couldn't get the scene of his weak aunt from his mind. Something told him he needed to

go back himself; he had to make sure she was alright. Remembering where exactly they lived, he apparated to their home with success. He had hoped his

hunch was incorrect, but unfortunately this wasn't the case. Sitting there staring at this sister he never got a chance to know till now, he had a strong sense of

protectiveness over her. She was so incredibly smart, but at the same time she was small and naive, attempting to cope with things a kid her age shouldn't

have to. He could tell that much by now. Draco knew all to well what that was like, being forced to take the Death Eaters oath the day he had turned sixteen.

Displaying her extensive knowledge was her way of making others feel she was more mature, though it seemed to him that she concealed this from

Granger and the others. In front of them, she was a perfect average eleven year old. More then likely to mask the truth that was kept hidden.

Alex nodded slowly, her eyelids were getting heavy as she stood up "You can stay here if your too tired to apparate back home. Aunt Annie won't mind. Teddy

has a queen sized bed. Had to buy him it cause he's a restless sleeper and always fell out the bed."

"I guess that would be alright, seeing as I wanted to talk to Andromeda sometime tomorrow anyways..."

"His bedroom is upstairs second door on the left..." She walked over to one of the white pillars of the house and leaned against it, staring up into the night sky.

"Aren't you going to bed little one?" The stern tone in his voice was back. Alex simply shook her head "Maybe later, I gotta keep watch. In case something goes

wrong and my aunt needs me..."

He frowned and walked over to her grabbing her gently by the arm "I can listen out for tonight. It's too late for you to be up."

"But what if she starts hemorrhaging or starts vomiting, or she has to..." Alex began but Draco wasn't hearing any of it.

"Go to bed. Now." He ordered as he led her into the house and directed her towards the stairs. She turned to protest but Draco wouldn't hear it "Now

Alexandrina..."

Normally Alex would have fought back, but she knew fighting her medicine was useless, so she just shrugged and went to her room. Draco decided to settle on

the couch and listen for any disturbances. It was weighing on his mind, but he knew what he had to do. _"I got to tell mother. She'd want to see Andromeda..."_

**(Alright! That was chapter six. I told you shit was about to get serious, and before anyone tries to complain. Yes, children can have anxiety and fear **

**disorders and Ativan is a perscription that can be given to treat severe attacks. I have been doing research on gifted children and anxiety and panic **

**disorders. In Alex's case she is a perfectionist, high performance conscious, and highly creative. I will go more into all of that later, but it's just **

**something I would like to point out. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter. It was a hard one to write, in order to try and set the stage for future **

**events to come. )**


	7. Fade Away

**(Sorry for the wait, but here it is, chapter seven! The lyrics from the upcoming chapter titles have meaning in relation to what is going on or will**

**happen in the story. Just a heads up :)**

**Chapter Seven: Fade Away**

_**I'm cold and broken  
It's over I didn't want to see it come to this  
I wonder if I will ever see your face again  
And I know that I will find a way to shed my skin  
It's simple I know that I will suffer in the end**_

_**Fast I fade away**_  
_**It's almost over**_  
_**Hold on**_  
_**Slow I suffocate**_  
_**I'm cold and broken**_  
_**Alone**_

_**It's hopeless, the end will come and wash it all away**_  
_**Forsaken, I live for those I lost along the way**_  
_**And I can't remember how it all began to break**_  
_**You suffer, I live to fight and die another day**_

_**Fast I fade away**_  
_**It's almost over**_  
_**Hold on**_  
_**Slow I suffocate**_  
_**I'm cold and broken**_  
_**Alone**_

_**~Breaking Benjamin**_

Draco woke to the sound of someone singing in the next room over. _'Ain't it a shame, A shame that every time you hear my name brought up in a casual _

_conversation you can't think straight? And ain't it sad You can forget about what we had. Take a look at her and do you like what you see, or do you wish it was _

_me..."_

He groaned loudly and slowly sat up in the bed. It took him a few minutes to remember he had spent the night at Andromeda's house. Looking around the room

he saw posters of some men named Batman and Superman, clad in strange outfits. '_This must be what muggle boys are into. Oddly dressed hero's?' _He thought

to himself as he made out of the bedroom, heading to the source of the singing.

Draco knocked on the door a few times, then decided to just open it, figuring she couldn't hear him anyways. Alex was sitting at her desk in the corner of the

room oblivious that anyone had come in. Two chords were dangling from her ears, disappearing beneath her long hair and into the pocket of her hooded

sweatshirt. Music was blaring rather loudly from the contraption he assumed was one of those 'Ipods' he saw Granger carry around for years.

_"I heard about Yeah, someone told me once when you were out, She went a little crazy, ran her mouth about me. Ain't jealousy funny? 'Cause I'll be there in _

_the back of your mind from the day we met to the very last night, And it's just too bad you've already had the best days, the best days of your life with me was_

_ a fairy tale love. I was head over heals till you threw away us..."_

The lyrics made Draco frown in disapproval as he reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. She reacted by jumping from her seat screaming in horror. She

hit the wall with a loud thud as she whipped around to find her brother standing there smirking. Alex ripped the headphones out of her ears and threw the

bulky metal Ipod at him. "Don't. Do. That!" She screeched, trying to catch her breath.

"Sorry, your singing woke me up..." He sat down on her bed and looked around her room. It was full of posters of singers, and bands he never heard of. Right

above her bed was a poster titled the periodic table of elements in which he was just confused as to why someone would want a picture with names like

Europium, zirconium, and lutetium on it.

Andromeda busted through the door wide eyed "What on Gods green earth is going on in here..." She looked at Alex "Why did you scream?"

"He scared me..." She looked at Draco and glared.

"Well now honey I told you, you shouldn't be walking around with those headphones on all the time. You can't hear anything else." Andromeda sighed. Draco

noted her ghostly complexion, and how coming up the stairs took every bit of strength from her. She turned to him "It's nice to see you again dear. Alex told

me this morning you spent the night. I hope your little sister didn't keep you up all night."

Draco shook his head "No, but I did come because I am concerned about you..."

Andromeda smiled weakly "I know Alex told you. It's alright. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. I have my good days and bad."

"Have you tried going to St. Mungo's?" Draco asked "I'm sure their healers know something more than these muggles do..."

"She did, their idiotic potions couldn't help with a cancer that makes your body create an over abundance of premature white blood cells..." Alex stood in front

of the two making them acknowledge her presence once again.

"It's sure as hell better than cutting a person open and subjecting them to treatments that make them even more ill than they were to begin with."

"Don't insult the way we believe in modern medicine and science compared to your belief in superstitions and magic." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"If Aunt Annie would just go ahead and consent the another bone marrow transplant..." Alex had began but Andromeda stopped her.

"Alexandrina Narcissa I already told you, we aren't going that route again. I will not." It was the first time Draco had heard his Aunt actually angry. It

was strange coming from such a sweet docile woman.

"But it worked last time." Draco looked from his aunt to his sister who was now crying frantically. "I don't care what it does to me, I'm a lot stronger it won't

affect me."

"I'm not putting you through that Alex. Never again." Andromeda was trying to remain calm and strong but was having difficulty. "Honey, please calm down...

you're going to give yourself a panic attack..."

Draco was getting frustrated at the banter back and forth that was making no sense. He grabbed Alex by the arm gently and sat her down on the bed next to

him. She tried to pull herself away, but he had a firm grip on her. "Calm down." he ordered, in a none too pleasant voice.

"NO!" Alex sobbed "I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm an idiot. I've had the procedure done before, it was fine."

"The answer is no Alex." Andromeda answered with finality.

Alex wretched herself from Draco's grasp and stood up on shaky feet "Do you even care that you will die?" She grabbed her headphones from the floor and

walked past her aunt "I guess if you don't give a shit what happens to you why should I? Why should I worry every damn second of every day, when all

you are doing is laying down and giving up."

Andromeda spoke after she heard the front door slam. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. She never is like that..." tears were forming in her eyes.

"Where did she go?" He asked as he got up and put a hand on his aunt's shoulder.

"Probably out back by the barn...can you check to make sure she is alright? She has panic problems...sometimes she throws herself into such a state she

passes out."

"Yeah, of course." He paused for a moment "Would it be alright if I took her to the manor to see mother...just for an afternoon..."

Andromeda thought for a moment and then smiled softly "That sounds fine." _'It's about time she meet the woman who gave birth to her. I don't know how long I_

_will be here to care for her. Who can I even begin to entrust a responsibility as raising a child like Alex?' _

_"_Will you be alright here alone?" Draco spoke, causing her to snap back to the present.

"Harry and Ginny are bringing Teddy in a couple hours. Go on, just take care of her..."

0000

Draco found Alex sitting under the large willow tree in the back yard. Her face was hidden underneath the hood of her black sweatshirt. It was obvious she

was still crying. Her breathing came out in alarming gasps as she tried to calm her thoughts and settle down. Normally Draco was not a person who showed

empathy for anyone. He wasn't the emotional type; many of his exes claimed he had no emotion. That of course wasn't true. Years of practice were to thank for

that. He couldn't stand the sight of her crying. He remembered how his father used to reprimand him whenever he cried. '_Stop crying or I'll really give you _

_something to cry about. You're about as pathetic as they come. No son of mine will cry like that.' _He grimaced at the thought and walked over to the tree, sitting

down beside her.

"I'm fine." Alex started immediately, as she ran a hand through her hair roughly. _'Can't breathe...need oxygen...'_ Her mind was screaming. She wanted to punch

a wall or smash something. She was so angry, hurt, frustrated, confused, scared; it was all hitting her at once and what was worse, she had an audience.

'_Ah, there it is. The Malfoy temper at it's finest...' _Draco thought to himself as he glanced sideways towards her. Out of instinct he never knew he possessed, he

put an arm around her and pulled her close to him in a tight hug. "Calm down."

"How can I calm down when I know what I said was the truth?" Alex sobbed as she tried to pull away from his grasp, unfortunately for her he had no plans of

letting her run off again.

"Just breathe, you're going to pass out..."

"You don't think I know this..." Alex rasped hoarsely.

"Then listen to me damn it..." Draco cursed angrily. He was telling her this for her own well being, yet that Malfoy stubbornness wouldn't subside. _'Stop acting_

_like our father...' _He thought bitterly to himself. It was strange, being put in this position and not acting out the way he had experienced all his life. Then he

thought of how his mother used to comfort him, after his father got a hold of him. Trying a new approach he pulled her into his lap and held her against him,

rubbing her back like Narcissa used to do to him. "Shhh...it's alright..." To Draco's surprise, she began to relax and calm down. '_Who would have thought that _

_would actually work...'_ He thought after a few minutes.

"Strange...I usually have to take an Ativan to stop a panic attack like that...' Alex's voice brought him from his thoughts. She pulled away from him and stood

up.

"I have that calming effect on people..." Draco answered smugly, getting to his feet as well. "Whats Ativan?"

"Hermione's right you are a prick..." Alex narrowed her eyes at him. "And Ativan is something the doctors prescribed me for my anxiety, it's used as a sedative."

"Why don't Aunt Andromeda just brew you a calming potion?" It was an honest question, but Alex immediately took offence to it.

"If you haven't noticed, we stray away from all things magical here. Aunt Annie hasn't even used her wand in years..." She brushed some leaves off her jeans

absent mindedly "Besides, I don't feel comfortable taking concoctions in which the side effects are unknown. At least with muggle medications you have a list

of side effects and how the medicine interacts with other pills."

_'She over thinks things way too much for someone only going to be twelve...' _he thought "I don't like the idea of you taking things to knock yourself unconscious.."

Alex shrugged "It's either the Ativan which calms me down, or I hyperventilate and I pass out from a lack of oxygen to the brain, which sounds better?"

"I guess the first one." He shook his head frustrated.

Alex gave him one of those 'told you so' looks and took a few steps towards the house. She then stopped suddenly and hung her head "I can't go back right

now...not after what I said..."

"She's not mad, but she suggested that it might be nice if you came back with me for a day. You could meet our mother..." Draco just let the offer hang in the

air for a moment.

"But what if Aunt Annie needs me..." She tugged nervously at the hooded sweatshirt she had on. Draco saw the conflicted look on her face and wished he

was able to do more.

"Harry and Ginny will be here in a few hours with Teddy. It will be alright." He walked over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Alex didn't

speak for a while, and Draco didn't push her. She stood where she was planted, staring at the house.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

Draco sighed and pulled her into a quick hug "She's going to love you. You're the little girl she always wanted but thought she could never have..."

"Just for the day?" She looked up at him with those big grey eyes, full of concern.

"I'll have you back by tonight I promise."

"Okay. Let's go then." She paused and gave him a glance of confusion "How are we getting there?"

"Like this..." He took her small hand into his and apparated.

0000

Draco and Alex appeared in the library of Malfoy Manor seconds later. Alex let go of Draco's hand and fell to her knees, trying to keep her breakfast from

spewing all over the beautiful obviously expensive carpet.

"First time apparating?" Draco had a smirk on his face, as he gently helped her back to her feet.

"What do you think, ya idgit!" She spat. "Could have warned me or something..." Her southern drawl was always more pronounced when she was angry.

She looked around the room and gulped "Y'all are like filthy rich or something aren't you?"

"One of the richest pureblood families in Europe...didn't Andromeda tell you?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

Alex shook her head "Wasn't important..." She suddenly jumped when she heard the door to the library open.

A tall woman with blonde and brown hair appeared in the doorway. "Draco where have you been all night?" The woman instantly became silent when her eyes

fell upon Alex, making her flinch nervously. She stood there silent as the woman stared at her in disbelief. Her aunt Annie didn't lie, Alex resembled her mother

a lot.

Narcissa didn't know what to say. She had heard a the sound of someone apparating and knew it was Draco. He may have been twenty-seven but she found

herself overly worried about her sole child. The one she was allowed to keep anyways. What she didn't expect was to find that Draco was accompanied with

a child who could have been his twin had she have been older. Narcissa noted the muggle clothes the girl was wearing and automatically knew. "Drina?"

Alex was scared to say the least. She didn't know how this woman was going to react to her. Yeah, sure this was her biological mother, but still, it wasn't like

she had an invitation to come see them or something. "Actually I go by Alex, but um...hi?" She cursed herself silently as to how redneck she sounded

compared to the prim and proper way her mother spoke.

Draco saw the tears forming in his mothers eyes as she practically ran across the room to Alex and scooped her up in a hug "I can't believe your here. I've

been longing to hold you for years..." his mother cried. Alex looked at Draco wide eyed, feeling slightly awkward.

'Go along with it..." Draco mouthed to her, and Alex hugged her back. "I know. Draco told me..."

Narcissa pulled away, holding her daughter at arm's length to just look at her. "Your so big..." She managed to say, then looked to her son "How?"

"I work with Potter, his little godson is Andromeda's grandson..." Draco replied.

Narcissa smiled warmly "For years I wondered...after the war...I wanted to get you back, but you looked so happy...I didn't want to tear you away from that..."

She wiped a few tears from her face "I'm so sorry darling...you must hate me..."

Alex sighed as she reached out brushing a stray piece of hair from her mothers eyes "No. I don't. I went where I was needed. I know it wasn't your choice."

Narcissa let her daughter go after a few minutes and straighten out her dress in a best attempt to compose herself. Alex walked back over to Draco and

grabbed his hand. Somehow he knew that took a lot out of her emotionally, and she was retreating to the person in the room she knew the best; like a small

child. "It's okay..." he reassured her.

"My two babies..." Narcissa smiled as she stared at the two of them with a look of genuine fulfillment. "Would you like to meet your father Alex?" She asked

suddenly.

Draco's eyes widened and he began to protest but Alex silence him with her hand "Actually I think I do. I have some things I'd like to say to him..."

(Does anyone wonder what Alex will say? haha! Anyways, sorry for the wait...i had a long work week. I hope you guys enjoy it! I'll be posting chapter eight this

weekend)


	8. I'm not ready to make nice

**(Here is chapter eight like i promised! Hope you guys like it. Alex meets the father that didn't want her. Hmm...doesn't look too good for him) **

**Chapter eight: I'm not ready to make nice**

**Forgive, sounds good**

**Forget, I'm not sure I could**

**They say time heals everything**

**But I'm still waiting**

**I'm through with doubt**

**There's nothing left for me to figure out**

**I've paid a price**

**And I'll keep paying**

**I'm not ready to make nice**

**I'm not ready to back down**

**I'm still mad as hell and**

**I don't have time to go round and round and round**

**It's too late to make it right**

**I probably wouldn't if I could**

**'Cause I'm mad as hell**

**Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should**

**~Dixie Chicks**

Draco looked at Alex in utter confusion. "Really? You are alright with meeting him?"

Alex looked at him and smirked "Oh yeah. I have a lot to say. This little girl is made of gunpowder and lead, and I ain't afraid of him." She then turned to

Narcissa "So where is he?"

Narcissa looked at her daughter wide eyed. It was obvious she didn't have a gentle nature that was expected of pureblood women. She was a loose cannon.

Andromeda had kept her promise; Alex was her own person.

"In his study..." Draco replied eyeing her. He knew that look on Alex's face. Hell, he invented that 'up to no good' look. Their mother of course just beamed at

them "I'll show you."

0000

Lucius sat at his desk going through a large pile of papers involving all the Malfoy investments. It was an understatement as to how many businesses he had

bought out and controlled now since he returned from Azkaban with a clean slate. He had thought about going back to the ministry, but found this much more

pleasurable than having to associate with so many mudbloods. Of course he never voiced these opinions anymore. To the outside world, he was a changed

person who has seen the error of his ways. Truth be told, he never stayed in the same room with a muggle or muggle born long enough to understand them.

He furrowed his brow in frustration as he tried working out the calculations of the family's finances. Hogwarts definitely didn't teach you how to figure out

gross income.

When Lucius wasn't entertaining his fellow pureblood friends and drinking, he was working. The times he spent with his wife and son were minimal. He ridiculed

his son for becoming an Auror. Their relationship was strained to say the least. As for his wife, now a days she was completely detached from reality, which

left him spending another day engrossed in his work.

The knock on his study was a surprise. He rested back in his chair and let out an annoyed sigh '_another one of Cissa's crying fits' _He thought "Enter"

Just as he guessed it was his wife, but she wasn't crying. Narcissa came into the room with a smile on her face. He arched an eyebrow "You seem elated

today."

"I have reason to be" She replied, happiness seemed to radiate from her being.

"Oh?" He was truly interested at that point. What could have made his wife so happen all of a sudden?

"Draco brought someone to visit..."

"Is it Miss Greengrass?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes "Of course not. You know I dislike that dolt. I don't know why you keep pushing Draco to marry her..."

Lucius groaned "She comes from a well to do pureblood family. If it's not Astoria, then who is it?"

Narcissa turned to look at Alex, who was standing outside the door out of sight. Alex grinned evilly, as her cell phone began going off playing a random song

_"Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk_

_Singing here's to never growing up. We'll be running down the street, yelling kiss my ass . I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that. When the sun's going _

_down, we'll be raising our cups, singing here's to never growing up..."_

_"Perfect..." _She purposely pulled her phone out of her jeans and looked at who was texting her.

**Hermione**

**Harry just told me Draco took you to see your mom. Are you alright?! **

Alex snorted loudly and quickly replied

**Yeah. I got this. **

Narcissa frowned as she watched her daughter pull out some muggle object that sung that oddest song and started playing with it. "Drina...I mean Alex...it's

alright..."she coaxed.

At the sound of the name, Lucius froze. Alex strode through the door "Sorry, that's my bad. I was sending a text..."

Lucius stared at the girl who shared the same hair and eye color as himself, and immediately knew who she was. Deep down he always knew this mistake

wouldn't have been kept secret for long, but he never expected her to appear right in front of him twelve years later. The look on her face amused him. His

son at her age rarely could look him in the eye without shaking in fear. This child had fire in her eyes that screamed malicious intent. She had guts, that's

for sure. The fact that she obviously wasn't intimidated by him was unnerving.

Alex looked Lucius dead on and gave him a scrutinizing assessment. Sizing him up was more like it. Yeah, she had to admit he was intimidating, but Alex

wasn't in the mood lately to give a shit what this man thought. "Hello _Dad." _She said dully, putting emphasis on the 'dad' part.

The corners of his lips upturned slightly in a smirk "Alexandrina..." He took in her muggle getup with disdain. "It's appears your Aunt Andromeda has brought

you up a common muggle..." He said with a fake smile that Alex saw right through.

_'Oh, I'll play this game...' _Alex thought as she shrugged "Well ya'll know we folks that aren't magically talented live the simple life.." She returned the smile.

"Indeed...you have an accent..." His eyes bore into her.

"Raised in Savannah, Georgia. American and damn proud of it."

The two were staring each other down when Draco walked into the room. Narcissa stood there nervously, but Draco couldn't blame her. There was so much

tension in that room and it was only escalating. The question was, who would win this psychological battle?

"How is Andromeda?" Narcissa broke the silence in an attempt to distract the two.

"She's good." Alex replied, giving Draco a look that pretty much said "_Keep your damn mouth shit." _

Her mother smiled weakly "I'm glad..." she paused for a moment "We'll just let you two get better acquainted." She turned to leave, grabbing Draco by the

arm. He in turn looked at his mother like she had lost her mind. "I don't think that's such a good..." He began, but to his surprise Lucius cut him off.

"It's fine. I would like to know my...daughter better." He looked to Alex who stared at him cautiously "Don't worry, I won't bite." He motioned her to sit down

in the chair that sat in front of his desk.

Alex turned to Narcissa and Draco "It's cool." She then walked over to the chair and sat down in it.

Draco shook his head and followed his mother, shutting the door behind him.

0000

Alex made sure the two weren't outside the door before she turned to look at Lucius "I'm not afraid of you, just so we're clear here..."

"I assumed as much. I don't know what your aunt or those muggles have taught you, but I will not be disrespected by a simple child. I'm much more lenient

then I was when Draco was a boy, but no child of mine will be speaking to me in that tone."

Alex let out a laugh, which seemed to only make him more displeased "My aunt taught me a lot of respect, but unfortunately that damn southern pride gets

the best of me." She swung her leg over the arm of the chair, resting her elbow on it in a most unladylike like manner. "Besides I don't show respect to sexist

assholes."

Lucius wanted nothing more than to slap her senseless, he had every right. "You little ungrateful..." He hissed standing to his feet.

"Ungrateful? What have you ever done for me? If I remember correctly you didn't want me because I didn't have a penis and made my mother give me up."

At that point Alex had leaped to her feet. Sure she was over a foot shorter than her father, but she wasn't worried in the least. Her blood was boiling at this

arrogant bastard whom she shared half her DNA with. Alex's eyes glanced at a piece of paper on his desk. It was a scratch piece of parchment with simple

arithmetic scribbled on it. Her eye twitched at it. '_Not now Alex..." _She told herself. It was a feeble attempt at determining gross profit margin. The math was

incorrect which in turn made the answer profit estimate wrong. Of all the times her obsessiveness with accuracy had to plague her now.

"Thing's were complicated. I wasn't keen on having a daughter but..." He stopped himself from saying anymore and glared at her " I don't need to explain

anything to you. What can you possibly understand? You are nothing but a silly idiotic girl."

Silly. Idiotic. Girl. Those words hit her like a slap in the face, immediately fueling her anger, and urge to humiliate him. She reached over and grabbed the

parchment from the pile and snatched one of the quills from his inkwell.

Lucius stared at her confused as she quill flew across the paper. She was muttering to herself, scratching out a number here and there. After a minute Alex

slammed the pen down on the desk and threw the paper at him. "Idiotic my ass..." she muttered more to herself than to him. "You were doing the math wrong.

That isn't how you figure out gross profit margin. You have to divide the gross profit by the gross income, thus you derive the gross profit margin." She pointed

it out on the paper. "Also if you want to convert the figure into a percentage, you have to multiply by a hundred..." She finally took a breath of air and shoved

her hands in the pocket of her hooded sweater.

Lucius looked down at the paper and blinked a few times. It made sense, which threw him off completely. He looked at Alex like she was from another planet.

"What is this?"

Alex clenched her fists "Basic math in my opinion, given the fact I could figure this stuff out since I was four."

"Four year old muggles are taught to do this stuff?" Lucius tried to conceal that fact that he was floored at her, correcting him, and she was right.

Alex snorted "No. Most don't even know how to tie a bow. For your information dad, I am considered a genius. If my aunt wasn't so worried about me not

socializing with people my own age, I would already be a senior going on to University with adults."

"So your a prodigy..." His eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Tell me then, what do you plan to be when you grow up?"

It was a valid question she didn't expect him to ask her "Well my aunt would tell you I wanted to be a dancer or a singer since I'm good at that as well..." She

looked at look on his face at that and rolled her eyes "But honestly I want to be either a theoretical or experimental physicist. I'd love to do extensive research

relating to Higgs boson..."

"What?" For the first time since they started talking, he was completely stumped "What is that?"

"You've never heard of Higgs Boson? The god particle?" It's theorized that it caused the big bang that created our universe eons ago..." She looked at him and

sighed "And I've lost you...basically it joins everything together and gives it matter. Not even Hermione gets it."

"Interesting..." He was staring at her differently. It was obvious to him her intelligence was unparalleled to anyone he was aware of. The fact that the

she was smarter than the Granger girl somehow made him happy. It just didn't make sense to him. Women were the weaker sex, they weren't supposed to

be intellectually superior to their male counterparts. This child he fathered was a deviation of nature. Malfoy women (what few there had been) were quiet

and simple minded, yet very magically gifted. His daughter possessed no magical ability, her personality mirrored his instead of her mother or aunts, and she

was extremely gifted in what was considered a male dominated muggle area of study.

Alex felt uncomfortable after a few moments of him just watching her "Well, I'm sorry that I was born." She brushed a stray piece of her wavy blonde hair

behind her ear and walked out the door.

Lucius went back to his paperwork, but found it difficult getting rid of the unsettling feeling he now had.

0000

"You're alright?" Draco jumped to his feet when Alex appeared at the top of the staircase.

Alex nodded numbly as she made her way down the staircase to him. "I'm fine." Draco wrapped an arm around her and gave her a tight squeeze. She looked

up at him with saddened eyes "Can I go home now?"

Draco looked at her carefully "Mother was hoping you would stay for dinner. Did our father say something to upset you?"

She shook her head "No. My freakishness just came out at a horrible time. He pretty much thinks i'm an abomination to every natural law he knows...and I

have to get back to Aunt Annie..."

"What did you do?"

"I went all beautiful mind genius on his ass. I don't like displaying it in front of people, but I couldn't help it; he was doing that math wrong..."

Draco just hugged her tighter "He thinks any girl who actually has a brain is a freak. Don't worry about him. I'll let mother know I am taking you home early."

"Thanks..." Alex muttered as he let go out her and left out the other side of the room. She sank down onto the last step and sighed. Today was too much for

her. All she wanted to do was run to her Aunt. She always knew the right things to say. She was always there to make everything okay. '_Who's gonna make_

_it alright when Aunt Annie is gone?" _The thought of her Aunt ceasing to exist scared her to death. The sound of her phone ringing brought her back to the here

and now. She decided against answering it, not really wanting to talk to anyone at the moment. She sighed as she thought how happy her mother was to

finally see her. Narcissa seemed like a sweet natured and protective mother. She also didn't seem to notice or care that Alex was not like them in the least.

_' I guess I'll stay for dinner. I don't want to hurt her feelings...' _She tried convincing herself that this was her aunt would be alright for a day without

her. "_"Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love I got a bottle of whatever, but it's getting us drunk...' _ The second

time her phone went off she reached into her pocket to check it. It was from her best friend Adrian, a sixteen year old girl she was in dance and school with.

**Adrian **

**Hey! I stopped by and your aunt said you might not be home til tomorrow. We need to practice that duet before weekends comp. Btw, did you finish **

**your history homework? I need help!**

Alex blinked. _'Aunt Annie told her i'm spending the night? Here?" _The most scariest thought entered her mind _'What if she is wanting me to get used to this, _

_because she wants me to go back to these people if she dies...' _She felt sick at the thought. She wrote her back.

**Alex **

**Yeah, I won't be back till tomorrow, and you still didn't get that done? It was due Thursday!**

She resumed her train of thought. This mansion was too big and cold for her liking. Not to mention living in a place without a television and computer would

just be torture. She'd be miserable in high class society and damp England all together. Alex was also terrified of her father. She was good about concealing

that today. She wasn't a part of this household; it was Aunt Annie's rules she followed. If she was forced to live here though, how could she thrive mentally,

intellectually, and spiritually without Lucius seeing it was unnatural? He definitely looked the type who would beat his kids; Draco was testament to that.

She shook the thought from her head '_That's preposterous. She wouldn't...besides...she WILL get better..." _

Draco came in, followed by his mother who looked extremely sad. "I was hoping you would have stayed for dinner. I had the house elves cook a feast for the

occasion."

"It's alright. I can stay." Alex paused for a moment "Actually...do you think I could crash here for the night?"

"You mean stay the night?" Narcissa asked hopefully. She had been trying every option to make her stay but to no avail, so when she heard her ask this she

was secretly thanking the gods.

"Of course you can darling. I was hoping your father wouldn't frighten you. He really is a loving person deep down."

_'Highly doubt that' _She thought, but shook her head "No I actually think I was the intimidating one."

Narcissa's look was one of surprise "How did you manage that?"

"A lot of adults don't know what to make of an eleven year old girl who understands the mechanics of quantum physics."

Draco couldn't help but laugh "What did he ask to bring up something like that?" He paused briefly "That's one of those sciences right?" Remembering what

they talked about the night before.

Alex nodded "He asked me what I wanted to be and I told him either a Theoretical or Experimental Physicist. That kinda made him look at me like I was some

kinda mutant, instead of a simple inferior muggle. Oh, and then I corrected his financial calculations..." She saw the gaping look on Draco's face and shrugged

her shoulders "I'm sorry but his math was completely wrong, and it bothered me..."

"You're more gutsier than I ever was..." Draco replied and glanced over at his mother, who looked concerned.

"Lucius isn't too fond of being told he's wrong. He is firm in the belief that children should be seen not heard."

Alex once again shrugged her shoulders "I can't help that I am different...I am what I am..."

"Well dinner is going to be shortly...and I'm sure I have a nightgown that will fit you." Narcissa sang as she glided out of the room. Alex sank down on the

couch next to Draco and sighed '_This is gonna be one interesting night.' _Draco sensed that she was extremely anxious, so he reached out and began stroking

her hair "Thanks for doing this Alex. I've never seen mother this happy in years..."

She smiled weakly and pulled her legs up to her chest "It's no problem..." She was secretly praying that she would make it through the night without having

a full-blown break down.

(And there it is! I hope you guys like it! I'll be posting nine by the end of this weekend!)


	9. I will not bow

**(sorry for the wait guys! Here is chapter nine! Thanks for all the reviews! It means a lot to me! ****)**

**Chapter Nine: I will not bow**

**I will not bow**

**I will not break**

**I will shut the world away**

**I will not fall**

**I will not fade**

**I will take your breath away**

**And I'll survive, paranoid**

**I have lost the will to change**

**And I am not proud, cold-blooded fake**

**I will shut the world away**

**Open your eyes!**

**~Breaking Benjamin**

Draco laid in his bed that night, unable to sleep. So much had happened in such a little time, and he was still trying to catch up. The fact that he wasn't an

only child anymore was just plain awkward. He had a sister who was a muggle genius and prodigy. She was also trying to cope with their aunt's declining

health in a way that worried him. For being such a brilliant girl, she was being naive at thinking Andromeda would be cured. How would Alex be able to function

when the mere thought of her aunt dying sent her into a panic attack? How would he reach her? They were from two different walks of life. He wished he had

someone who wasn't Hermione Granger that could explain all this stuff to him. _'Wait a minute...I do know someone...Cassius Nott...' _Draco's friend Theodore had

a younger brother who graduated from Hogwarts last year and decided to attend a muggle University in New York, to his parents disapproval. In fact, his

parents disowned him for his decision to further his education in the muggle world. Now a days, only Theo, Blaise, and himself have contact with him here and

there. Last they heard, he was enjoying himself, telling them he now goes by Casey, and going on about one of those Ipods that Alex also owned. Casey

was going to Columbia University to study psychology, he should know about things like anxiety and panic disorders.

Draco was disrupted from his thoughts by the sound of knocking on his bedroom door. He slipped out of bed and answered the door. Alex was standing there

with the same pained expression on her face as earlier, fiddling with her Ipod. "I couldn't sleep, too cold in that room...too quiet..." She spoke quickly, running

a hand through her hair; removing the two plates her mother braided that night.

"You sure that's the only reason?" He gave her a doubtful look.

Alex walked past him and went right for his bed, crawling in and making herself comfortable. He turned around and sighed as she burrowed herself underneath

the covers, disappearing from sight. "Alex...you didn't answer me..."

Draco heard incoherent muttering from under the covers and rolled his eyes. He strode over to the bed and pulled the covers slightly to find her face down in

pillow, headphones in her ears. He leaned over and nudged her "Alexandrina"

There was a loud groan before Alex ripped the ear plugs out, rolling over on her back to look at him. "I can't shut my mind off. It's just not my aunt, it's

everything. I have a duet I have to practice with Adrian, a solo I haven't even start, schoolwork that I'm sick of doing because it's too easy for me...and then

all of this." She took a deep breath and sat up "I hate being so different...I hate what I do..."

Draco sat down on the bed next to her "You're talking like your some kind of crazed freak. Trust me, we do have those in our family, luckily you never met our

Aunt Bellatrix. You're nothing like that. In my opinion, you got the best qualities of both our parents."

Alex stifled a sarcastic laugh "I highly doubt that. You still haven't gotten a chance to see me on a daily basis..."

0000

_Five years ago_

"Point your toes, legs straight, don't forget your form...'_ A seven year old Alex kept repeating to herself as she practiced her routine in the driveway. Six was a _

_particular number for how many times she had to go through the dance. Six times was how many times she washed her hands, tied her shoes, shut the door. Getting _

_down the stairs, she had to make sure she only took six steps, so it involved a lot of skipping two stairs at a time, especially in school. She was in the middle of her _

_fourth run through when Hermione came outside. "Alex, you've been out here for over an hour. It's dark, your aunt wants you inside." _

_"I can't I still have to go through it two more times after this..." She didn't even look at Hermione, who had her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently. _

_"You can finish it tomorrow..." She answered in that stern voice she often gave Harry and Ron in school when they didn't finish a class assignment. _

_"I can't..." Alex shouted at her in a now annoyed voice, never missing a step. _'Point your toes, legs straight, don't forget your form...' _Hermione stepped out of the _

_garage and walked towards her. Alex flinched slightly "Get back..." She screeched, as she missed a step. "Now I have to start all over..."  
_

_Hermione looked genuinely confused "Why?" _

_"You ruined it. Now I have to start all over..." She started to scream and stomp her feet in frustration, tears were forming in her eyes._

_Hermione didn't know what was going on. Why couldn't she just work on it tomorrow? She knew the kid was driven, but this was strange. "Alex, why can't you stop?" _

_Alex had resumed her beginning point and proceeded to start the routine over "I have to do it six times or it won't be right..." _

_"Why six times?" _

_"BECAUSE IT WON"T BE RIGHT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" _

0000

"I do and say stupid things. I can't help it..." Alex continued, trying not to think of the many moments that defined how strange she was. She let out a sigh and

laid her head on one of the pillows. "Aunt Annie used to get mad til the doctor told her it was part of what I have..."

Draco wasn't sure what she meant by not being able to help or control what she does. Everyone has a choice, don't they? He laid his head down on the pillow

next to hers "What is that thing you keep putting in your ears?" He asked, deciding it was best to change the subject.

Alex looked down at the music player and then at him "You never listened to an Ipod before? It plays music..." She handed it over to him.

"Really?" He took the object in his hand and pressed the arrow part. It turned on showing the 'now playing' screen "Got any Weird Sisters music on here?"

"Who?" Alex arched an eyebrow at him "Is that some wizard band?"

Draco looked at his sister like she was from another planet "You never heard the Weird Sisters? You know...'_Move your body like a hairy troll. __Learning to rock and_

_ roll. __Spin around like a crazy elf, __dancin' by himself...'_ He attempted to sing the song, but stopped after seeing the blank expression on Alex's face. "Aunt

Andromeda doesn't listen to any wizard music?"

"Well she sometimes sings this song called '_A cauldron full of hot, strong love' _I think most of the witches and wizard songs I have heard sound too

impersonal...real love isn't like that...everyday life isn't like that...you can't relate to any of it..."

Draco laughed "And I bet your muggle music is better?" He couldn't help but find it adorable when she tried to talk like an expert at things. He looked at the

song that Alex was listening to 'Merry go round' and laughed "This doesn't sound serious at all...merry go round? That's a carnival ride..."

Alex rolled her eyes "It's a metaphor...she's comparing the life she knows to a merry go round..." She proceeded to sing the chorus " _'Cause mama's hooked on_

_ Mary Kay. Brother's hooked on Mary Jane. Daddy's hooked on Mary two doors down. Mary, Mary, quite contrary. We get bored, so, we get married. Just like _

_dust, we settle in this town. On this broken merry go 'round and 'round and 'round we go Where it stops nobody knows and it ain't slowin' down. This merry go_

_ 'round."_

"Well you don't have to rub it in that you sing better..."

She took the headphones out of her ear and held it out to him. "Listen to some songs. I promise I won't tell Daddy dearest you're listening to muggle

music..." She gave him a slight smirk, as she laid back down covering her head up with his comforter.

_'Little shit just took over my bed..." _Draco frowned, then glanced down at the music player. He put the headphones in and began scrolling through the music. His

sister was very different, that was for sure.

(Sorry for the short chapter! Next chapter is going to be a good long one I promise!)


	10. A Beautiful Mind

**(Hey you guys! Thanks for all the follows and everything! This chapter is going to be sooo much longer. There will be Hermione/Draco time...also Draco's**

** Slytherin friends will be making an appearance in upcoming chapters! I must warn you that this might be a triggering chapter for some.)**

**("Think of OCD as an "overactive alarm system." The rise in anxiety or worry is so strong that a child feels like he or she must perform the task or dwell on the thought, over and over again, to the point where it interferes with everyday life.**

**Most kids with OCD realize that they really don't have to repeat the behaviors over and over again, but the anxiety can be so great that they feel that repetition is "required" to neutralize the uncomfortable feeling. And often the behavior does decrease the anxiety — but only temporarily. In the long run, the rituals may worsen OCD severity and prompt the obsessions to return."****)**

**_Chapter Ten: A Beautiful Mind_**

**_Mathematicians won the war. Mathematicians broke the Japanese codes... and built the A-bomb. Mathematicians... like you. The stated goal of the Soviets is global Communism. In medicine or economics, in technology or space, battle lines are being drawn. To triumph, we need results. Publishable, applicable results. Now who among you will be the next Morse? The next Einstein? Who among you will be the vanguard of democracy, freedom, and discovery?_**

**_~Helinger_**

_June 26th_

Alex knew she should be a happy carefree twelve year old on her birthday, but she wasn't. She constantly felt like her heart was going to jump out of her

chest. She had night terrors most of the time that seemed to linger way after the night had slipped away. The day she spent with her biological parents was

the last good day her aunt had. When Alex returned the next morning, she found Andromeda unable to walk down the stairs alone. School ended later that

week, which was a odd blessing this year. As always she got straight A's, and would be in honors classes her sophomore year. This summer she began

living two lives; the carefree twelve year old who excelled at the dance studio by day, and the depressed, terrified girl who held her aunts hand during every

chemo treatment at the hospital.

Lately she found herself repeating her strange routine for hours. It was bad enough that she had to go through each of her dances exactly six times perfectly

before she was satisfied. If she messed up, she had to start from the beginning and redo it another six times. Her anxiousness and worry about her aunt

caused her to mess up often. Today Alex could tell, wasn't going to be a good day.

_"There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium, And nickel, neodymium, neptunium, germanium_

_And iron, americium, ruthenium, uranium, Europium, zirconium, lutetium, vanadium, And lanthanum and osmium and astatine and radium..." _Alex sung the

elements song softly to herself as she stood over the bathroom scrubbing her hands with antibacterial soap and scolding water. She winced slightly as she

rinsed the soap and blood off her hands and pumped another handful of soap as began to wash them a fifth time.

"Alex! You've been in there almost a half hour! I have to go to the bathroom!" Ginny whined through the door.

"Leave me alone...I'm not finished..."

Draco had been coming over to see his sister so often in the past couple weeks that when he showed up today he just let himself in. He didn't expect to see

Hermione sitting on the couch. He stopped in the living room doorway, immediately feeling his stomach drop when she noticed him. Hermione was chuckling to

herself as she took in his 'deer in the headlights' expression. "Relax Malfoy, Alex already told me you come over daily after work..."

"I am relaxed..." He said stiffly. Hermione knew that look in his eyes and it frustrated her. Guilt.

"Seriously Draco? I don't need your pity or guilt. What's done is done. I don't want Alex to start connecting the dots, do you?"

Draco's coughed nervously "Of course not. I just didn't expect to see you here..."

Hermione shifted uneasily in her seat. "Well, Andromeda has been under the weather, so Ginny and I thought we'd stop in..." She didn't make eye contact,

which told him she knew.

"I know about the cancer treatments...the chemotherapy is taking its toll on her. Alex explained the effects to me..." Draco replied in a matter of fact tone.

"How long have you known? We just found out the other day..." She was trying to keep the surprised confusion from her voice.

"Alex told me the day she spent the night at the manor." He glanced up the stairs, he seen Ginny heading down, looking rather annoyed.

"What's got your knickers in a twist Wesley?" Draco leaned against the door frame, ignoring the lingering look of bewilderment on Granger's face.

"Your sister has been in the bathroom for an hour! I'm going to pee my pants!"

"There's an old outhouse out back by the barn..." Hermione replied thoughtfully, composing herself from the shock that Draco knew about Andromeda's illness

before any of them did.

"I'm not going anywhere near that outhouse! It stinks..." Ginny sat down in the plush recliner that sat in the corner and pouted.

Draco snickered and Hermione give him a dirty look before turning back to Ginny "Did you ask her to let you go?"

"Yes. She said 'leave me alone, I'm not finished yet.' There was water running, I think she's attempting to put makeup on herself or something..."

"She better not be..." Draco's tone was dangerously stern. Hermione on the other hand, got up from her seat and leaped from her seat, sprinting up the stairs.

Draco nearly got knocked over in the process. Confused at the urgency, he decided to follow her.

Hermione was knocking on the bathroom door when he reached the top step.

"Alex, it's alright. They are clean..." He watched her speak into the door in a strange soothing tone. The water faucet shut off, and the door opened. Alex

walked out of the bathroom, trying to pull her sleeves down over her hands carefully "I'm sorry, I wasn't finished when Ginny knocked, then I messed up and

I had to start all over..." When she looked up at saw Draco standing behind Hermione, dressed to the nines as usual, her face paled. _'Guess there's no point  
_

_hiding anymore...'_

Hermione gently took Alex's hands in her own "Come on, you know the drill..." Alex sighed heavily and pulled up the sleeves of her long sleeved thermal shirt

one at a time. Draco acted on his first instinct which was moving Hermione aside, grabbing Alex by her upper arms "What happened?"

Hermione stepped back and stared at Draco surprised. She had to admit, he was extremely protective of his sister.

"I...I couldn't help it..." She stammered, feeling overwhelmed to have him interrogating her. This was one of those crazy things she did that she hid from as

many people as possible. This was the reason to that. She flinched when he took her hands in his and examined the state of each one. "Alex, why did you

do this?" The expression on his face was one of frustration and concern.

"I have to wash them six times for six minutes each, otherwise they aren't clean...if I get interrupted...I have to start the whole sequence again..."

"Your hands are _raw _and _bleeding _Alexandrina. Doesn't that tell you that maybe, just maybe they are _too _clean?" He was having a hard time keeping the anger

out of his voice. For some reason, whenever someone he cared for got hurt he got extremely angry. Not at the person, but just in general that something

happened to them.

Alex shook her head "No...not until I wash them six times in a row for six minutes...I just _have_ to."

"That's ridiculous, you quit doing this!" He didn't mean to shake her, but he often had trouble controlling his temper.

"DRACO! You stop intimidating her like that!" Hermione pulled him away from her. He shook her hand off his arm and narrowed his eyes "She's hurting herself

with this nonsense.."

Alex had back against the wall, brushing a few stray tears from her eyes hastily "I'm sorry...I can't help it. It's something I have to do..."

Hermione sighed "She's telling you the truth Draco...she can't help it. It's a part of who she is..."

He looked over at Alex, who had her head hung in shame and felt disgusted with himself for losing his temper even a bit with her.

"I told you, I do stupid things I can't control..."

Hermione took that opportunity to speak "Alex, go downstairs and get the bandages for your hands. We need to wrap them before you get an infection and

can't do your back-flips and round-offs."

Draco saw his sister take this as an escape and fled down the stairs. He noticed she skipped every other step and turned back to Hermione who looked

positively defeated. "She can only use six of the steps to get up and down the stairs..."

"Why? That doesn't make any sense..."

"It doesn't for her either, but grabbing her up and ordering her to stop won't cure the behavior."

"Is...is she cursed?" He finally managed to ask after a few minutes of awkward silence. It was the only explanation for him as to why a person would have to

repeat things over and over again.

Hermione simply shrugged in a bad attempted at ignorance. It was Alex, who had quietly made her way back up the stairs, hearing their conversation, that

answered Draco. " It's called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a legitimate psychological illness that usually goes hand in hand with anxiety disorders, as it is

also considered one. They don't know what causes it, though it is theorized that it is genetic, because there are usually more than one person in a family with

it. It's inbred in my genes, not a curse that some witch or wizard..."

Draco jumped at her voice and turned to look at her. "Don't the muggles have a pill to cure it like with your anxiety and panic attacks?" He tried not to look at

her hands. He didn't understand how she could do that and not acknowledge the pain. The more he thought though, it made him remember something from

when he was younger. Grandfather Abraxas Malfoy had a habit of repeating things over and over. He was also very paranoid of germs and sickness. It was

pretty ironic that how much he tried to prevent germs from reaching him, he still caught Dragon Pox and perished.

"No...it's different." She shifted in place feeling terrible that she made him freak out and blow up the way he did. "I got the bandages Mione..." Alex was trying

to steer the conversation away from her list of problems, but it was pretty much hopeless.

Draco reached into his pocket and withdrew his wand. "Bandages?" He crinkled his nose at the sight of them. Why wrap up the wounds when a spell could

instantaneously get rid of them? "Come here. Let me at least heal them for you. They look like they hurt..."

"Not really...I don't really like magic being used on me..." she ran a hand through her hair, feeling like this was going to be a losing battle. "You positive, your

just using a healing spell?" When she looked at him with those big grey eyes, all of his frustration from before instantly dissolved. He reached out and stroked

her golden hair gently "It's just a healing spell, I promise. Do you trust me?"

Alex took a deep, nervous breath and nodded slightly.

Hermione had stepped back and just watched the two siblings interact with one another. She was surprised at how quickly Alex had taken to Draco. Then

again, as she thought on it harder, she wasn't surprised at all. Alex had always been so forgiving and accepting. What she found strange and different was

how sweet he was towards her. He definitely wasn't the same selfish, maliciously evil bully she went to Hogwarts with.

Draco lowered his wand and whispered "_Vulnera Sanentur..." _

_'Calm down Alex, just calm down...its not going to hurt...' _Alex looked terrified, but she forced herself to remain rooted to one spot and let her hands heal. It only

took a few moments and it looked almost as if nothing had happened. She rolled her sleeves up and examined them, then grinned "Wow...that didn't hurt."

Draco shoved his wand back into his pocket and looked at her "Of course it didn't hurt. Why on earth would I do anything to hurt you?"

Alex shrugged "I didn't say that exactly...I just don't trust the concept of magic in general."

He just shook his head and laughed slightly "I swear, if you didn't look just like me, I'd question you being a Malfoy..." Alex then leaped up and wrapped her

arms around his neck in a hug "Thank you!" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and took off down the stairs two at a time _" There's sulfur, californium, and_

_ fermium, berkelium, And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium, And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium, And chlorine, carbon, cobalt,_

_ copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium. These are the only ones of which the news has come to Harvard, And there may be many others, but they haven't been _

_discovered."_

Draco slid down the wall to a seated position, absent-mindedly running a hand through his soft blonde hair. "She's so...different..."

Hermione watched Alex disappear down the stairs and just smiled "She's brilliant. Most of the greatest minds in history were plagued with psychological

problems..."

He just shook his head and sighed "Really? Is that so?" He said in a slight sarcastic tone. Hermione however, choose to ignore it and continue.

"John Nash was a mathematical genius in game theory, differential geometry, and partial differential equations was a paranoid schizophrenic, Issac Newton

had all the signs of being Bipolar, Paul Erdos had Obsessive compulsive disorder, and Kurt Godel had both Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a Severe

Anxiety Disorder...in the end he died from his extreme anxiety..." Hermione rambled off the names and saw the horrified look on his face with the

last name "That was years and years ago when people didn't know too much about mental and psychological illness..."

"Our world will never understand her..." There was a sadness in his voice. Alex had got strange stares from their father as it is from her intelligence, their

mother smiled, but didn't know what to make of her either. He knew for numerous reasons she'd never fit in with the society their family was part of.

A door opened and Andromeda stood there staring at the two "It's true they probably won't, but in this world she will be world renowned, and change the

course of history..."

Draco turned to look at his aunt and immediately felt his heart sink. She was ghostly pale and thin, standing there with support of the door frame. He

immediately went to her, but she held a hand up to stop him "I'm fine Draco. I can still walk."

Hermione looked at her wide eyed "Andromeda, if you aren't feeling well, you can lay down. Don't over exert yourself."

Andromeda made a shallow sigh and rolled her eyes "Hermione, I am fine, besides nothing is going to stop me from spending time with my niece. It is her

birthday after all."

Draco didn't protest, he simply nodded, feeling a bit of anxiety himself when she asked them to help her down the stairs. He had held back from telling his

parents about Andromeda's condition, but over the past few days her health was declining fast. He knew he had to tell his mother soon.

(**And thats chapter ten! I hope you guys like it! John Nash, Paul Erdos, and Kurt Godel are real Mathematicians, look them up. It's a very interesting read! I'll be working on chapter eleven tonight!) **


	11. Anthem of the Angels

**(Sorry this chapter took so long to post. I had to work a lot the past couple weeks. I'm warning you now, this will be a sad chapter. )**

**Chapter Eleven: Anthem of the Angels**

**Cold light above us **

**Hope fills the heart **

**And fades away **

**Skin white as winter **

**As the sky returns to grey**

**Days go on forever**

**But I have not left your side**

**We can chase the dark together **

**If you go then so will I**

**There is nothing left of you**

**I can see it in your eyes **

**Sing the anthem of the angels **

**And say the last goodbye **

**I keep holding onto you **

**But I can't bring you back to life **

**Sing the anthem of the angels **

**Then say the last goodbye**

**~Breaking Benjamin**

"How was Alexandrina's birthday?" Narcissa asked her son when he returned later that evening. She had this hopeful tone in her voice now that she knew

her daughter wasn't lost to her. "I bet Andromeda threw her a lovely party...she was always good at that sort of thing..."

Draco's mind was so jumbled at that point in time with everything that went on that day. All he wanted was to meet up with Theo and Blaise and have a few

fire whiskeys and clear his mind. _'You gotta tell her. She's her sister...she needs to know..." _"It was simple...Andromeda has been sick..."

Narcissa looked at the guilt ridden expression on her sons face and frowned "Oh? Well hopefully she will feel better soon. She was sick when Alex stayed over"

Draco nodded "Mother...she's not going to get better..."

"What are you trying to tell me Draco?" Her voice quivered slightly as she tried to keep an airy note in her voice. Those words struck her.

"She's dying mother. I've known for a while...she has a really bad cancer that muggle medicine won't cure...and she's refusing to let Alex be her donor...it's

really complicated...but she's getting sicker...and weaker..."

He waited for his mother to protest or argue with him, but she didn't. He watched her as she sat there staring at the fire quietly. "I'm sure the muggles will

come through for her...she will be alright..." Narcissa finally spoke quietly.

Draco blinked a few times at her in disbelief. She sounded just as naive as her daughter on the subject, or in denial more like it. He threw his hands up in

frustration and walked out of the dining room, ready to drown all these problems away. Little did he knew was that Lucius happened to hear everything that

was said between the two. While Narcissa was in obvious denial, he was curious about the situation. One of the things he loved doing the best was showing

up somewhere unannounced. As much as he made himself believe that it was a desire to observe the strange intelligence his daughter exhibited, it was the

fact that he was drawn to the fact that her personality matched his own. He knew for a fact his son had their numerous fireplaces connected to Andromeda's

house through floo, he figured he might as well observe the child in her natural settings.

0000

"So your mother just blew it off, like it didn't matter?" Theo took another sip of his firewhiskey, as Draco, Blaise, Pansy, and himself sat at a booth at the

Leaky Cauldron.

"She's in denial. I mean how would you react if you found out your sister is dying..." Pansy tried to explain it to the three buzzed men. Sometimes, their group

needed a female's perspective on things, and Pansy was always the one there to tell them what really is going on.

"I know she's in fucking denial...everyone is...except Alex..." Draco spat bitterly "That kid is ready to implode...she's so damn stubborn. She walks around

like an adult just because she's a prodigy and has always been around people older than her. Today she washed her hands so many times they bled. Like

literally blistered and bleeding...then she rambled on and on about doing things six times and shit. Granger tried saying its part of who she is...but even she

looked freaked out..."

"Maybe her brain overloads with all that knowledge or something..." Blaise joked in attempt to lighten the mood "It's hilarious that your sister is smarter than

Granger...hell she's smarter than pretty much everyone in the wizarding world..."

"Now that sounds like a bit of an over dramatization..." the voice startled the group as they turned to see Cassius Nott sit down at the table next to theirs. He

was a bit taller than his older brother Theo, standing about 6'2 with black straight hair that fell into his bright blue eyes. Pansy squealed "Holy Shit! Little

Cassius! How are you?"

The young man rolled his eyes "I'm fine, spring semester is finished...got a week before summer classes begin...I figured I'd come visit the family..."

Theo couldn't help but laugh "How did that go? Mom still throwing a fit while dad tells you how much of a disgrace you are?"

"No, actually when I went home your mom was there Draco. She was telling my mom about your long lost sister who lives in muggle America..."

Draco groaned "You have got to be kidding me..."

Casey shook his head "Nope, said your aunt has been raising her in Georgia." He chuckled as Draco face palmed himself. "So I have to ask since I overheard

you guys talking about it...is she the little mathematics prodigy Alex Malfoy that has been cracking problems that fourth year math majors haven't been able

to since she was like eight?"

Draco just blinked at him a few times "How the hell would you know that?"

"We had a section of my psychology class on prodigies and geniuses and the name was mentioned among others...never in a million years thought she was

relation to you."

"Ha, funny Cassius...or wait isn't it Casey now?"

"Anyways..." Pansy spoke in an annoyed voice. "Back to the subject...Draco, what's going to happen once...well you know..."

"My aunt passes away?" He shrugged "I don't know...I know my mother already wants her back, but I don't know if that's a great idea..." He felt himself

getting angry at such serious talk. He left the manor to hang out with friends and have a 'good time'. This kid sister was really dampening his good mood, then

again he never was in an elated mood to begin with. There was no point getting angry at her and deep down he knew it. That didn't stop the alcohol from

making him feel bitter though. "Can we please not talk about this dying bullshit, Please Pansy? I just want to relax and enjoy the carefree company of my

friends. Besides, I'm just ranting...I'm probably over reacting...and I shouldn't have told my mom she was dying...it was kind of jumping the gun..."

Theo looked at him puzzled "jumping the what?"

"The gun...you know the muggle weapon that shoots these things called bullets." He cursed to himself "I'm even starting to talk like a damn muggle now..."

"Welcome to the new world..." Casey clapped him on the back and laughed. The conversation took a better turn after that, and Draco had himself convinced

his negative thoughts were just in his head as always. He realized he was dead wrong when Granger came practically running into the Leaky Cauldron, pale

and frantic.

"She really takes her work seriously, doesn't she?" Pansy snorted in a snarky voice, but Blaise glared her into silence.

"Not now Pansy..." He hissed.

Hermione looked around the pub till she spotted Draco and hurried over there "Something's wrong..." She managed to choke out.

He arched an eyebrow at her "What do you mean?"

"Teddy appeared at the Weasley's a few minutes ago. He said grandma was bleeding really bad and Alex told him to use the floo to visit his godfather. When

Harry tried to use the fireplace to go to their house, but its shut down. Alex shut the whole floo system down somehow...I went to the manor..."

"You what?!" Draco exclaimed in shock at her stupidity. He was going to lecture her, but Hermione wouldn't let him finish.

"I told your mother. She even tried and it's shut down there too. She said your father was the last person to use the floo network, and that only a powerful

wizard could do such a thing. Someone who had contacts with the ministry..."

A million thoughts were racing through Draco's mind in that moment, but the main one was that his father had lost it and was trying to harm his daughter that

was never supposed to be.

"Your father wouldn't do something rash...would he?" Casey looked between the two. Theo looked at his brother and just laughed "You were too young

to really know how messed up Draco's dad could get...especially when it came to making the family look bad..."

"Shit..." Draco cursed loudly "Well why didn't you guys apparate there?" He snapped at Hermione.

"I don't know...we didn't know what to think...Teddy wasn't injured...we didn't..." Hermione tried to explain, but Draco had already pushed past her and

apparated from the pub.

Blaise looked at Hermione "We should head to the ministry and see what's going on..."

Hermione nodded numbly at him "Uh huh..."

Theo had got up from the seat and snapped his fingers in her face "Granger! Snap out of it!"

Hermione blinked and shook her head "Sorry...I just...shit...I didn't realize...or think..."

"That's fine, but we gotta see what's going on. You heard Blaise...lets go..." He looked at Pansy "I'll meet you back at the house. Keep Casey company so

he doesn't go pissing our parents off alright?"

Pansy nodded "Send me a Patronus, if you hear anything...alright?"

Theo nodded and left with Hermione and Blaise.

0000

Lucius didn't expect the scene in front of him when he decided to drop in on his sister in law and daughter. There was a little boy standing in the room crying

loudly, while his daughter kneeled in front of the boy, trying to console him. He noticed she had blood splattered down the front of her shirt and hands.

"Teddy...I need to get Grandma to the doctor...I'm going to send you to Grandma Molly's okay?" She spoke sternly to the boy, making her sound much older

than her twelve years. Alex looked up and saw Lucius. Her eyes widened slightly and Teddy looked at the man "Is that your daddy Lexey?"

Alex nodded "Yes, Teddy...now go..." She gave him a handful of floo powder "Now what did I tell you to say?"

"The Burrow..." Teddy replied confidently through his tears.

"Good...now do it..." She ordered. Lucius watched the little boy disappear into the green flames. Alex looked at him "I actually hate to admit it. It's nice that

you are here, because you are going to seal this fireplace. I want it completely cut off from the floo network..."

He stared at his daughter blankly for a few minutes "What makes you think I am able to do that?"

"Because I know you can." Alex looked at him seriously "I don't want a rush of people in this damn house right now..." Her breathing was shallow, but her

voice was strong. She kept rubbing her hands anxiously '_The blood will never go away...it won't fade...' _

"Where is that from?" The reasons for his visit had been abandoned as he looked at the girl cautiously.

"My aunt is hemorrhaging...I called the ambulance...so much blood..." Alex replied faintly more to herself than to him.

_'Draco wasn't overreacting...' _He thought to himself. "Why are you overjoyed to see your father, in the midst of all of this?" He asked sardonically.

"Because, you are my biological father...you can sign the papers stating that I can donate bone marrow..."

"Donate what? I am sorry, but your muggle terms confound me..."

Alex glared at him "Bone Marrow, my Aunt has Chronic myelogenous leukemia, it's a cancer of the white blood cells...she's failing the drug treatment and the

chemotheraphy so she's going to need another transplant." She looked at Lucius, surprised that he was actually paying attention to her, so she continued

"And I'm a match...you understand?" He heard a strange siren in the distance, and looked down at his daughter, unsure of what to say. Mostly because tears

started to fall from her eyes "Please, Lucius...I can't lose her..." As much as he wanted to shun this child like his father, and his father before him; he couldn't.

He felt nothing but guilt every time he looked at her. Was his reasoning back then wrong? He just nodded numbly and went to work sealing the fireplace, while

Alex ran outside to meet the paramedics out in front.

(Sorry it's not as long as I wanted, but more is coming!)


	12. Save You

**(Thanks for the reviews and the follows everyone! I'm sorry it has been taking so long. I work at a nursing home and we lost a string of residents **

**who I was very attached to...The emotion and sadness I feel I put into this story so its genuine. That and I also do a fair amount of research so **

**everything is legitimately correct. Yes, I know the story is slow paced, that was the way it was intended. I really dislike rushed stories, therefore I do **

**not write them. I also have a random question to ask you readers. If you could pick one actor to play Theodore Nott, who would**

**you see him as? I have been wracking my brain for days, but have come up with nothing! I can see Nicholas Hoult as Cassius, but Theodore = I'm blank! **

**Comment with your suggestions! It helps me write to envision who the characters look like!) **

**(Now on with the story)**

**Chapter Twelve: Save you**

**_Take a breath  
I pull myself together  
Just another step till I reach the door  
You'll never know the way it tears me up inside to see you  
I wish that I could tell you something  
To take it all away  
When I hear your voice  
Its drowning in a whisper  
It's just skin and bones  
There's nothing left to take  
And no matter what I do I can't make you feel better  
If only I could find the answer  
To help me understand  
Sometimes I wish I could save you  
And there're so many things that I want you to know  
I wont give up till it's over  
If it takes you forever I want you to know  
That if you fall, stumble down  
I'll pick you up off the ground  
If you lose faith in you  
I'll give you strength to pull through  
Tell me you won't give up cause I'll be waiting if you fall  
Oh you know I'll be there for you  
If only I could find the answer  
To take it all away_**

**_~Simple Plan_**

Awkward would be an understatement to the way Lucius felt at this particular moment. He was sitting in a muggle hospital waiting room. The

muggle healers had came in an automobile called an ambulance to take an unconscious Andromeda here for treatment. When they brought her

down he had never seen so much blood come from a nosebleed.

Alex was sitting in the chair beside him, shaking slightly as she continuously tried to rub the blood off her hands and onto the jean Bermuda shorts

she was wearing. Every couple of minutes the object she called a cell phone would start ringing. She would press a button to silence it and set it

down on her lap as she continued her rapid tapping and rubbing; singing along to the radio that played a county station _"Two days past eighteen_

_He was waiting for the bus in his army green Sat down in a booth in a cafe there, Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair_

_He's a little shy so she gives him a smile, And he said would you mind sittin' down for a while And talking to me, I'm feeling a little low_

_She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go..." _Alex's phone went off again and Lucius looked at her "Why does that thing keep making noise, and

why don't you answer it..." He drawled.

Alex just shrugged "It's Hermione...she keeps texting and calling and now I got some unknown number..." She groaned in frustration as she pressed a button

and held the phone to her ear "Hello?" Her southern accent seemed to be thicker when she was angry and this was no exception. "REALLY? SERIOUSLY,

YOU GOT YERSELF A LITTLE PHONE THERE TO TRACK ME DOWN?"

Lucius looked at his daughter, and then looked around, praying to the gods no one was looking at them.

"OF COURSE I"M FINE DRACO, I SWEAR YOU DON"T KNOW SHIT FROM SHINOLA..." She placed her hand over the speaker and turned to look at her father, who

looked raving mad at her outburst in a public place "Your son thinks you are out to kill me..." She snorted "I swear he's talking like he's crazier than a shit

house rat..." She paused for a moment rolling her eyes as her brother ranted on from the other line "Not to mention he's as drunk as Cooter Brown..."

Lucius grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into her seat "Alexandrina, you will stop that now..." He hissed in a dangerous tone.

"Awe hell dad, you really think they care?" She glanced around the waiting room and smirked "You see that lady right there?" She pointed to a lady with a

fake tan,bleached blonde hair, too tight jeans, and a tank top that barely held her double d's in. "That's LuAnn Renolds, there's always a domestic dispute

going on at their trailer at least once a week..." Alex tried to hold back a laugh at the expression on her prim and proper father's face. "Her husband Travis

just can't keep it in his pants, she catches him with some town whore and beats the shit outta him...annnnnd they end up here..." Alex gasped realizing she

still had Draco on the floor. She put the phone back to her ear "What? I'm sorry...No...we're at the hospital...no she's not...yes I am..." He wasn't sure

what Draco was saying to Alex but he could tell she was getting pissed off. Her face turned red and her nostrils flared up "YES I AM, TELL HERMIONE I ALREADY

GOT THE PERMISSION TO DO IT, AND YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" She pressed a button and shoved the phone in her pocket "Arrogant Asshole...trying to tell

me what I'm going to do..."

She was almost certain she saw the corners of his lips curl into a brief smirk. "I am curious as to what I gave you 'permission' to do. Perhaps if Draco and

the Granger girl think its a bad idea, that it's not wise..."

"Draco is only objecting now because Hermione explained the procedure in order to donate bone marrow. Of course to you wizards it sounds mortifying, you

guys use potions and spells to heal yourselves..."

"Then explain this muggle procedure..."

Alex ran a hand through her long locks and sighed "Basically they will put me to sleep and take this huge needle and extract bone marrow from the area

around my hip..." She noticed Lucius wince at her explanation. "She's all I have...and I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and watch her die when I know I

can do something..."

Before Lucius was able to say anything, a female doctor came over to them. "Alex?"

She straightened up in her chair "Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Brennan, I've been looking after your aunt..."

Alex perked up at that "How is she?"

"Not too well, I was told that you wanted to donate and harvest bone marrow?"

She nodded, feeling slightly awkward with her fathers' scrutinizing gaze upon her. It was almost as if he were observing her like some kind of a wild animal.

"I'm a match to my aunt Andromeda." She paused watching the doctor nod slightly "I also have done it before, so I am familiar with the procedure..."

Dr. Brennan smiles at Alex warmly "Well it's a great thing you are doing..."

0000

Draco and Hermione got to the hospital a while after Alex abruptly hung up on him. Hermione could tell he was fuming that someone told him off, and that

someone was a twelve year old kid; but she didn't pester him on it. She had taken Andromeda's SUV and together the two of them walked into the Emergency

waiting room. Hermione walked over to the desk to talk to the receptionist. She came back to tell Draco they were on the third floor. After a ride on the elevator

, the doors opened and they walked into another waiting room to find Lucius sitting there, delicately paging through a random magazine. He looked up and let

out a sigh of relief "I was waiting for you to show up."

Draco didn't see Alex in the waiting room and looked at his father "Where is Alex?"

"According to that muggle healer, they took her upstairs to prep her for the procedure of harvesting bone marrow." He replied dully.

"And you just let her go alone?" Draco tried to contain the anger from his voice.

Lucius shrugged "Well I was in there, but Alexandrina told me to come out here and wait for you."

That definitely took Draco by surprise "She...she knew I was coming?"

"Apparently." He replied dryly to his son "She would prefer you in there..."

Draco felt his stomach drop when his father told him this. The thought of watching some barbaric practice performed on his little sister, made him feel strange.

He figured he would be able to handle it, as he put on his expressionless demeanor as he walked into the hospital room. He was glad that Hermione had

decided to wait in the waiting room for the others to arrive. He really didn't want her to see this side of him. The side that came out when he saw how small

Alex looked in that hospital bed. She was sitting crossed legged atop of the fitted sheets and blankets, while the nurse prepared to stick an IV into her.

She looked nervous until she saw Draco, then her face seemed to light up "You're here..." He walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair next to it.

"Of course I would be here...when you pulled that little stunt with the floo network..." He stopped unable to continue without sounding like an overbearing

prat.

She could see him blanche slightly when the nurse took her arm and wrapped the tourniquet around it. "It's so they can find my vein to run the IV in."

She smirked slightly "You look sick, big bad deatheater..."

Draco scowled at her "Don't call me that...and that was...diff-er-rant..." He got caught up on the last word when he watched the nurse stick Alex with the

needle, leaving a tube behind that was taped secure.

"The anesthetic should be taking effect shortly..." The nurse told them and quietly exited the room. Draco turned to his sister "What did she do to you?"

Alex laid back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling "Its going to knock me unconscious so they can stick that thing into my back..." She motioned to

the pamphlet on the bedside table that explained donation.

Draco grabbed it and sat back in the chair paging through it "Smart move by the way...getting our father to sign that paper for you to do this..."

The nurse didn't lie, it was a few minutes in and she already felt herself getting lighter, with the exception of her eyelids. They were getting heavier. Her eyes

remained on the ceiling "They don't consider me a genius for nothing...hey Draco?"

"Hmm? " he flipped the pamphlet over.

Inhaling deeply, Alex opens and closes her eyes, trying to count the tiles on the marble floor "Please don't leave me..."

Draco lowered the paper and looked at her " Why would you think that I would?"

Alex shrugged her shoulders, her eyes never leaving the ceiling "I don't know...everyone always leaves..." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

He placed the paper down and stood up, leaning over the bed to examine her sleeping form. He reached out and pushed a stray piece of hair

behind her ear, and kissed her forehead gently. "Don't worry...even if you grow to hate me...I'll never leave..."

"Good..." She muttered suddenly, making him jump slightly. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you just tell Hermione you like her. It's obvious you two have already engaged in coitus with one another..." She sang in a drowsy overly thick

southern accent, and burst into delirious laughter.

Draco coughed loudly and stared at her "What? That's nonsense...I don't like the mud..." He began but stopped himself "Hermione..." He stopped briefly once

more to regain his composure "Honestly child, where do you get such things? And what is coitus?"

"For one...your pupils dilate when you look at her...you mirror each other...which is another sign of attraction..."

"Stop that!" Draco huffed. Alex just laughed lightly, and closed her eyes finally giving in to the darkness. Draco shook his head slightly and settled back into

the chair just in time for the nurse to come back with the doctor. It was going to be a long night.

0000

Two days later Alex found herself at Malfoy Manor to stay temporarily till Aunt Andromeda was out of the hospital. For the most part it was quiet, a little too

quiet for her liking. After a while day in bed recovering from her donation, she had to get up and do something. There was a loud 'pop' and Winky - the family

house elf appeared at her bedside "Is Miss Alexandrina feeling better?"

She sat up in the bed slowly and winced at the pain radiating from her back, "Not really...I'm worried about my aunt..." Alex replied sadly.

Winky nodded sympathetically "I is sorry Miss Alexandrina...Mistress is very happy you are here...she missed her baby she says..."

"I know...but I don't feel right here...I miss the country air already..."

"Is it nice in Georgia Miss Alexandrina?"

Alex smiled at the doe eyed house elf "Yes, it's beautiful...it's always really hot this time of year...but it's alright, it's perfect weather for horseback riding and

muddin..."

"Sounds lovely miss!" Chirped Winky. "Winky must get back to the kitchen...good day Miss Alexandrina!" and with a pop she was gone.

Alex got out of bed and went over to the dresser to find something to wear. It was crazy how Narcissa practically moved her completely into this room that

was about three times the size of hers at her own house. At best her bed was a California King, if they even knew what that meant. She pulled out a pair

of shorts and a tight fitted Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt, with a zip up red hoodie to go over it.

'_Thank God I bought all those batteries...I'd die without my kind of music in this place..' _She thought as the turned her alarm clock/ipod player on, turning it up

all the way to the maximum volume to a random song. She went to the center of her enormous room and started warming up for her dance routines she

needed to practice. _"Hey! Hey! You! You! I don't like your girlfriend! No way! No way!I think you need a new one Hey! Hey!_

_ You! You! I could be your girlfriend Hey! Hey! You! You! I know that you like me No way! No way! I know it's not a secret Hey! Hey! You! You! I want to be your_

_ girlfriend. You're so fine. I want you mine You're so delicious I think about you all the time You're so addictive. Don't you know what I could do to make you feel_

_ alright (alright, alright, alright)? Don't pretend I think you know I'm damn precious,and Hell Yeah, I'm the motherfucking princess I can tell you like me too and _

_you know I'm right...She's like so whatever You could do so much better. I think we should get together now, and that's what everyone's talking about!"  
_

_'Come on Alex...just ignore the ache...you got to practice...' _She chastised herself as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing to do her first

round off back handspring full twist in almost a week. She took off at a run and leaped forward ignoring the pain as her hands hit the rug, and her feet left the

ground.

Lucius was attempting to read the Daily Prophet when the blaring music from the second floor caused him to spill his coffee all over his shirt. "Damn that child.."

He cursed angrily and pushed himself from the table. Narcissa jumped at his outburst and placed her fork on the plate "Lucius...don't be too harsh with her..."

He narrowed his eyes at her wife "That child is lucky she was raised by your sister...I would have beaten this behavior out of her..." He snapped and left the

dining room, heading up the stairs. He was perfectly content when she was ill in bed yesterday, in and out of sleep. Of course it was too much to hope she

was a quiet girl. Neither of his children seemed to inherit their mothers docile nature, but at least Draco knew the concept of 'children should be seen not

heard' when he was a boy. Lucius didn't even bother knocking; he stormed through the bedroom door to find Alex doing a form of acrobatics most people can't

even imagine on achieving. He crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat loudly. Alex landed on her feet with a loud thud and stumbled back at

the sound. "God damn it..." She cursed loudly, and looked up at him. "You ruined my concentration..."

"I could say that same..." He hissed "What on earth do you think you are doing?"

Alex got back to her feet and walked back over to the spot where she began, trying to conceal her need to limp back. "Practicing..." _'Trying to do anything to _

_pass the time away here...I need to go see Aunt Annie...is she alright? I need to get these routines down pat...I can't not place first...oh, God I need to feed my horse,_

_clean the house so its nice when Aunt Annie comes home...all the blood..." _Her mind was raging at that point.

"Practicing what? That muggle doctor said you were supposed to be on bed rest for the remainder of the week. Get back into bed..." He didn't understand why

the girl was being so stubborn. It was obvious she was in pain from the way she walked, yet she proceeded to redo her back handspring. Lucius told himself to

take a deep breath and calm down, but disobedience was frustrating to him. He strode across the room and snatched her up by the arm. "Are you deaf?"

Alex looked up at him, feeling slightly frightened by his obvious anger, of course though she had no control at that point what sprang from her mouth. "Of

_course_ not. The malleus, incus, and stapes bones in my ear are all in proper function, as is the cochlear nerve that sends the sense of hearing to my brain...'

She couldn't stop the never ending train of thoughts that was going through her mind at that point. _"Aunt Annie...the house...dance routine...oh great now he's _

_going to yell at you because once again you had to open your mouth and prove that you are more intelligent then him...great way of listen to Draco and laying low!"_

Lucius of course didn't yell at her like he thought he was going to. She seemed very twitchy and unfocused from what he observed her as normally being. Draco

had mentioned she had some issues, but he refrained from explaining except saying that he would handle them.

"I can't stop...I started...I have to practice my routines six times each...I already started..." Her reply was almost robotic. He stared down at her and took in

the vacant expression on her face. "No, you're going to shut that music off and come downstairs now young lady..."

"I can't. ..." was her reply, which only made him angrier. He made the mistake of trying to physically take her downstairs by force. Alex wrestled herself from his

grip and backed away from him."I'm losing my patience with you child..." He stood there clenching his fists "_Ungrateful...muggle brat...'_

_'Can't stop the sequence...can't breathe...he doesn't care he doesn't understand...he hates you...'_ On top of her impending panic

attack that was about to hit that a derailed train, she realized that the doctor was right in telling her to rest after what she had done to her. "Go away..."

Alex choked as she found her way to a wall and slid down onto the floor next to her dresser. She crawled up the dresser and started going through the

drawers throwing articles of clothing every which way. "Where is it..." She managed to cry out, as it was now obvious to her father that she was

hyperventilating. Lucius stood there, completely taken off guard. What he thought was a child's temper tantrum was some sort of mental breakdown. He

watched as she rummaged through her belongings in vain to find what she desperately needed. He decided it was time to take a different approach with her.

He walked over to her "Alex, please calm down..." It was the first time he used the name she preferred instead of 'Alexandrina'.

"I...Can't...find it..." She was sobbing hysterically, which made Lucius feel even more uncomfortable. The Malfoy's didn't cry, yet here she was her gut wrenching

wails were enough to make him feel horrible. "Can't find what darling?" He made a feeble attempt at trying to sound gentle. It just wasn't in his nature.

"My...medicine...Panic...attack...bad...dizzy..." She was muttering words at that point that were getting incoherent.

"Shit...Alex..." Lucius turned to see Draco rush past him, to Alex's side, wrapping his arms around her tightly "Shh...its okay. Remember, we don't need your

medicine to stop it..." He spoke gently to her. Alex nodded slightly "I'm sorry...I...can't breathe..." She squeaked.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucius asked, staring at his son with slight envy at how easily the child was consoled by him.

"Panic attack..." He answered as he stroked her hair carefully "Shh...just relax..."

"Why did it happen?"

"I don't know for sure...but there are a lot of things you must understand about a child like Alex...even I can't explain...I had to ask someone who has

knowledge of this..."

Lucius stared at him "A knowledge of what, may I ask?"

"Psychological Disorders..."

**(There it is folks. Hopefully you guys like it! I will be working on the next chapter this weekend. Sorry for the lack of proper english earlier in the chapter. Alex is a southerner...I couldn't help but put a few southern phrases into the mix! Oh, and apparently Cooter Brown is a real person! )**


	13. Hurt: Part 1

**(Sorry this chapter took so long! I have been really busy! The next one will come quicker than this one I promise! I just wanted to set everything up**

**for future events. Not to mention there was so much to put in this chapter. )**

**Chapter Thirteen: Hurt: Part One**

**I hurt myself today  
To see if I still feel  
I focus on the pain  
The only thing that's real  
The needle tears a hole  
The old familiar sting  
Try to kill it all away  
But I remember everything **

**What have I become  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know goes away  
In the end  
And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt **

**~Johnny Cash**

A week later

Hermione tried focusing on work that week, but was having difficulty. The knowledge that Andromeda was coming back home hung in her thoughts. She

hated to think that the end was getting near, even though they had just found out about her illness. The doctors respected her wishes to stop treatment and

enjoy the rest of her time at home, giving her about a year, a year and a half at most.

Much to Hermione's surprise, Narcissa had been at the hospital daily, never leaving her sisters' side. What was strange though was that Alex was absent.

It had been over a week that she had seen the girl and she was slightly worried. Narcissa had told her that Draco decided to take her back to Savannah and

stay there with her, where she felt in her own element. Still, she saw no trace of the child, and no one was talking. Pushing herself from her desk and standing

up, she decided she would go ask him, even though she really wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. She felt like a teenager again, every time she

saw him, her stomach did back flips, but she felt disgusted with herself for feeling that way, so she avoided him all together. Three floors down she reached the

Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and walked past Harry, and Blaise, right to Draco's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in..."

When she walked in she surveyed the room, and immediately saw Alex sitting in his chair with her feet up on his desk, wearing a short, white cotton tank top

sundress with brown cowboy boots. Draco and her were in the middle of a conversation, though by the looks of it, Alex wasn't paying attention, as a Daily

Prophet newspaper hide her face. "Seriously, they have articles about Cauldron thickness? Wow...oh look Percy wrote this...no wonder it sucks!" Alex

laughed.

"Alexandrina, I'm trying to talk to you here..." Draco sounded annoyed as he looked at Hermione and motioned for her to sit down in the chair opposite of

Alex.

"Percy has been working on that Cauldron stuff for years..." Hermione replied to Alex's inquiry. Alex folded the paper and tossed it on the desk. She was

wearing black shades which she pushed up on top of her head. "Yeah I know, Audrey says that's all he does is research dumb shit.."

"ALEXANDRINA!" Draco fumed.

Alex rolled her eyes and glared at him "I hear you Draco, but I choose to ignore you. It's _my _hair, get over it..."

Hermione was confused until she had a better look at Alex, that's when her mouth dropped. Her platinum blonde hair, now had black, red, and blue lowlights

in it.

"Our parents don't feel the same. They will be furious. You know we have to go to that victory ball for Hogwarts, then there's Andromeda. She will kill me for

letting you do that to your hair..."

Alex gave him the stink eye "I'm not going to some stuck up ball where I'll stick out ..." She pulled the shades over her eyes, sat back and sighed loudly "I

just found out my aunt probably won't even live to see me graduate...Forgive me if I'm not eager to get dolled up and paraded around like some idgit..."

She didn't know how to explain how she felt when Draco told her the bone marrow transplant had worked, but couldn't stop the inevitable. She wasn't stupid,

but she was praying for some sort of miracle you read about in books and see in movies. Hopeless and hallow would be describing that pain and panic she felt

when she thought of life without the woman who raised her to be the free intelligent spirit she was.

Her aunt would miss Teddy go off to his first year at Hogwarts; she would miss a fourteen year old Alex step across the stage of her high school to grab

her diploma, she'd miss taking her to college,her first date, her sweet sixteen, her eighteenth...twenty-first birthdays, the groundbreaking theorems she

would crack when she became a world-renowned physicist. Of course this was just the hopes and dreams of a twelve-year-old girl, but the fact she would be

doing it all alone,scared her even more._ 'You will not break..." _Before either adult's could say anything to Alex, she slipped her feet from the desk and got up

abruptly, picked her backpack up from underneath the desk and slung it over her shoulder. "It's four O clock...I have practice at six...Adrian said she can pick

me up at the house..."

Draco sat on the edge of his desk and stared at her. She was being short with everyone that day. She practically ripped her mother's head off when she asked

her to come with her to the hospital. The only person Alex didn't get snippy with was their father, and that was because they both had this silent agreement

not to start with the other. Dance every other day was the only escape she had until school started up in a month.

Hermione could tell that Draco was at a loss about how to comfort his obviously wounded sister. She was just as stubborn and shut off as he was in serious

situations. Sixth year at Hogwarts immediately came to her mind. She remembered a sullen and withdrawn Malfoy, who alienated himself from his own house.

Of course at the time she had no idea he was a new DeathEater, and that he was sent on a suicide mission from Lord Voldemort himself; she just thought he

was a moody, over dramatic prat.

"We have an hour yet to get back."Draco sat down at his desk and glanced down at his paper. "Damn it Alex! How many times do I have to tell you, stop

correcting and rewriting my briefings."

Hermione tried to stifle a laugh as Alex simple shrugged "I would if I could, but I can't so I shan't. Your grammar is atrocious..."

"You shouldn't even be looking at this stuff; it's classified."

Alex snorted "Yeah, to anyone who can decipher _that...'_

Draco gave her a fake smile that cried "_I want to throttle you...' _"Don't you have a dance class to attend little one?"

Alex rolled her eyes and moved past Hermione, grabbing her floo powder from the desk, she waved bye to Hermione and headed out the door. Before she

got past the threshold Draco called after her "Come home right after practice! Who knows where that Adrian will take you..."

Alex didn't bother to turn around, she simply flipped him off and slammed the door behind her.

Hermione turned back to Draco and started laughing loudly. "Oh that's rich...she's just like you..."

Draco frowned "It's not funny. I don't want her to turn out like me...she's more like our father than anything...and that's worse!"

"Not everything about you and your father is bad Draco, no matter what you think everyone else thinks." Hermione began "She's smart like you are. I always

knew you were the second smartest student at Hogwarts, well except potions...it always pissed me off that you had higher marks..."

Hearing his actual first name slip from her lips in a compliment made him look at her in disbelief. " Is the infamous Hermione Granger, actually admitting that

I was better than her?"

She felt her cheek begin to burn "I was just trying to be nice. Of course you had to be the usual prick you always are..." She spat, regretting even coming to

talk to him, as she turned on her heel to leave.

"Granger, wait..."

Hermione bit her tongue and turned around waiting for a smart ass remark.

"Will you be at the ball tonight?" He asked casually as he rummaged through the papers that Alex had corrected refraining to look up at her. Hermione blinked

a few times and shifted her weight from her left foot to her right. "Most of the wizard world will be..." _'Where the hell is he going with this?' _She thought.

"You should come as my date..." He deadpanned.

"You're joking right?" Hermione snorted. _"He has to be...' _

"You would think, but no. I was hoping you could come with me to keep Alex from running out at the event."

"In other words help you play the role of prison guard?"

"Essentially, yes...come on Granger. It will be fun. Besides who wouldn't want to come to the biggest event of the year, with the most eligible bachelor..." He

smirked at her.

"You're full of yourself..." She pretended to be offended, but she had to admit his cocky attitude was attractive.

He kicked his feet up on his desk and placed his hands behind his neck "So I take that as a yes."

She sighed angrily "I'm going to be moral support to Alex. It has nothing to do with you." Hermione scoffed and headed out the door.

"Keep telling yourself that love." were the last words she heard Draco mutter before she slammed the door.

0000

"You seem a lot more nervous than usual. What's up?" Adrian asked as they drove back from dance practice that night. Alex was trying to focus on the song

that was currently playing on the radio '_I'm gonna aim my headlights into your bedroom windows. Throw empty beer cans at both of your shadows_

_I didn't come here to start a fight, but I'm up for anything tonight. You know you broke the wrong heart baby, and drove me redneck crazy." _Adrian's question brought

her back to reality. "I just feel like my heart is going to burst out of my chest. I think I could have done my solo ten times better...and the fact that my

biological mother has been around just makes everything so...not right..." "_There's also that little part about my aunt slowly dying and there is no way to stop it. __  
_

_Oh, and my family is a bunch of pure blood witches and wizards who want me to go to a ball that is going to be jam-packed with people I don't feel comfortable with...' _

She thought the last part.

Adrian nodded slowly, as she reached into her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, taking one out. "You just need to relax. Here, take this. I know your

aunt will skin my ass but seriously, you need to calm down."

Alex looked at the cigarette and then at Adrian. "I guess I could try it. Hell, maybe it will help. My anxiety meds sure as hell aren't..." She took the cigarette and

grabbed Adrian's lighter and put it in her mouth lighting it up. _"Need to stay in control..." _She took a drag that was longer than she expected and started

coughing loudly.

"Small puffs Lex..." Adrian snorted as she lit up her own. "It really helps relax you...I mean it works for me anyways..." She took a drag and turned onto Alex's

street. She looked out her window and smirked, turning to look at Alex "Oh look Alex, your little crush is outside..."

At those words, Alex took another drag and slumped down in the passenger's seat, coughing slightly. "Lucas is not my crush. I don't have crushes. We just

grew up together since my aunt and his mom are friends. Besides, he's sixteen." _"Not to mention a muggle which can not even be mentioned in the same _

_sentence as dating. Wait, I don't want to date him! Ew! I mean it's Lucas...yeah he's gotten kind of cute since he lost his baby fat when he turned fourteen but..._

_urgh! Shut up Alex! You are sooo making this worse! Shit! I hope Adrian doesn't notice me spacing out...take another drag of the cigarette and just laugh and say_

_something witty. _

"Besides, he's kind of a dumb skater...I mean I have to help him with his Geometry for Christs sakes.." _"Good one..."_ She shook her head slightly and laughed,

exhaling the cigarette easier this time. They pulled up at Alex's house and she got out slowly, taking the cigarette with her, feeling a sense of coolness about

it.

"Keep telling yourself that Alex. I'll bet if you weren't so panicky and just was chill like you are with me that he'd like you...even if you are four years younger..."

Alex rolled her eyes "I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."

Adrian just laughed "I so gotta take you out to some parties sometime. You could totally pass for eighteen with the right makeup...but until then, I'll

see you tomorrow!"

Alex sighed and waved "See ya."

After Adrian pulled off Alex walked slowly across her lawn till she heard someone call her name. Alex threw the cigarette down and stepped on it with her

boot. She then turned to see Lucas riding his skateboard over to her. He stopped in front of her and hopped off the board, picking it up. "Whatcha up to

little Rina?" He smiled at her as he ran a hand through his brunette hair.

Alex glared at him as she slung her ballet bag over her shoulder. "Quit calling me that Luke, it's Alex...Rina sounds too close to Renal in which that's just

strange to have a nickname as such..." _'Adrian was totally right...' "_And I'm only four inches shorter than yourself...but that is typical for females. It is quite

worrisome that for sixteen years old, you are only five foot five at most. Perhaps you should see a physician, there may be a problem with your endocrine

system..." _Jesus __Alex you sound like such a bitch..."_

"Oh believe me, everything in perfectly fine in that department, but your too young to worry about that right?" His comeback made Alex turn red in the face

with embarrassment. Lucas patted her on the back and pulled her into a half-hearted hug "Hey, relax. It's just a joke. I know you're a genius and whatnot but

you really need to loosen up."

"Kind of hard to do that when your mother for all intent purposes is in the hospital attached to tubes and needles and there's nothing I can do about it. Might

be smart...but not smart enough to cure her..."

"My mom wanted me to ask you about that...that bad huh?"

Alex nodded quietly. She didn't know what else to say. She always found herself telling this particular person more than she did with anyone else. Maybe it

was because his life wasn't all roses on the inside as he wanted everyone to think either.

"Who's the people I have seen at your house the past month anyways?"

Alex tilted her head slightly towards him, wondering when he began paying attention to matters that went on at her home. "My mother, father, and older

brother..."

"I kind of figured..." He said casually, but seeing the confused look on Alex's face made him explain "You guys all look alike with that white blonde hair..."

"Common Malfoy trait unfortunately..." She shrugged.

"Hence the streaks? So you can be told apart?" The patronizing smirk he gave her made her want to slap him sometimes.

"Urgh, yes Okay? Any _other _reason you decided to _grace me_ with your presence?"

Lucas could tell Alex was getting annoyed with him, though he had to admit he loved getting her all riled up. She was so serious all the time and it didn't make

sense. "Actually I was wondering if you had pre-calculus this semester?"

"The school thought I was too advanced for Algebra 2 and Geometry so yeah, they put me in pre-calculus. " Alex took in his puppy dog expression and rolled

her eyes. "Yes, Luke I'll help you out...You don't have to get all pathetic and beg..."

When he leaped forward suddenly and scooped her up in his arms, twirling her; she felt her face flush with embarrassment at how awkward she felt.

"Thank you Alex. You're amazing. I know I'd fail it otherwise..." He set her down on the grass.

"Yeah yeah..." She grumbled as she straightened her dress.

"Well I better go meet up with Zach...See you later Rina..." Lucas ruffled her hair slightly till she slapped his hand away. "I wouldn't smoke...it just doesn't

fit who you are..."

A glint of annoyance and fire flashed in her eyes "Oh? Who am I?" She challenged.

"You're the bookish type...you know...very sweet and innocent...the two just don't go hand in hand..."

0000

The victory ball wasn't even in full swing yet and Draco already knew from the look on Alex's face that she was miserable. It was wave after wave of people

from some of the best wizarding families, coming to meet this daughter of Lucius and Narcissa's. For the most part Alex was polite and quiet, then the

Greengrass family approached their table. Alex was drawing on her dinner napkin when she heard Astoria Greengrass's shrill. "Lucius, Narcissa! How

good to see you!" Draco flinched and leaned over to observe what Alex was doing. "Who the hell is that?" She muttered to him.

"That girl our dad wants me to marry..."

"Well fuck a duck...sucks to be you..." Alex taunted.

Lucius gave his children the death stare while Narcissa gave Astoria a fake smile "Yes, it is isn't it? Draco, say hi to Astoria..."

Alex chortled "Yeah Draco, say hi to yer wifey..." She whispered evilly.

"Just wait til father chooses someone for _you!_ You'll probably get stuck with Marcus Flint's little brother...what a shame.._ " _A glint of amusement at the look on

Alex's face when he pointed out the homely seventeen year old who was sitting three tables over. He turned to Astoria and simply nodded, acknowledging

her presence.

"To hell I will..." Alex's voice raised "That boy is so ugly he couldn't get laid in a whore house with a fist full of hundreds..." She stopped immediately when she

realized how loud she was and saw the sheer look of horror on Astoria's face. It was Theodore Nott, who came up behind her that spoke "You must be

Alexandrina...it's nice to meet a girl who is as opinionated as I hear you are..." He nudged Astoria who gave him a glare "See most of the women in upper

wizarding society are what I like to call puppets...they do whatever they are told to do...no mind's of their own whatsoever..."

"Pansy's not like that..." Draco pointed out.

"One out of the lot..." Theo laughed.

"Where I'm from it's normally the men who listen to the women, unless they want to be spitting out their teeth..." Alex replied casually, making Theo laugh

harder. "I love this kid Draco! She's a smart ass just like you. Come on you two, I want her to meet Pans, Blaise, and my brother Casey..."

Alex couldn't be happier to leap up from the chair in between her parents. Lucius grabbed her gently by the arm "Be a good girl now..."

She flashed a sweet and innocent smile at him "Yes daddy..." which he knew for a fact was fake, right down to the batting eyelashes. He hated to admit it

but his daughter was growing on him. After the episode she had a couple of days after arriving, Lucius tried to make an effort to get to understand the child. To

his surprise, and dread, Alex reminded him of a younger female version of himself. The two often debated on random issues much to the confusion of his son

and wife.

Draco followed Alex and Theo across the big ballroom when he saw Hermione walked through the main doors accompanied by Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Lavender.

She was wearing a beautiful floor length silver gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. He was surprised to see that the other two-thirds of the

golden trio weren't upset that she was heading over to him. "Sorry I'm late...Ginny broke her heel so we had to head back to Harry and Ginny's apartment

to grab a new pair..."

"It's alright. You look very lovely..." He stammered. _'Way to go dip shit...' _He cursed himself.

"Where's Alex? Harry and Ron are dying to see her..."

"She went with Theo to go meet Blaise, Pansy, and Cassius..."

"Oh..." She said quietly, feeling somewhat queasy. "Thank you...by the way...for saying that I looked lovely..."

He could tell she felt awkward or nervous, whichever it was;he liked knowing that he made her this way. "I only give compliments when I see fit..."

Hermione saw him actually smile and felt herself flushing. "Thanks..."

He held his hand out to her "Come on...you might as well dance with me. Unless you are afraid what your buddies will think..."

Hermione took his hand and narrowed her eyes slightly "Of course I don't. Harry and Ron are perfectly fine with me coming here with you...I'm twenty-six

years old. I don't need a babysitter..."

"Just thought I'd ask..." He paused when he noticed how shaky she seemed "You can relax you know...it's just dancing..."

Hermione gasped when he placed his hands on her waist "I know that..."

"Then breathe" He whispered into her ear.

0000

Pansy, Blaise, and Cassius were deep in conversation when Theo approached them with Alex in tow. "Hey you guys, I thought I'd drag this little one over here

to meet you guys..."

Pansy looked at Alex and grinned "Oh my Gods, Hi Alexandrina!...your a spitting image of your brother! I'm Pansy Parkinson...and this is Blaise and Casey..."

She motioned to the other two.

Alex waved awkwardly at them, brushing a piece of blond/Black/Red/Blue hair from her face. "I'm Alex actually..." _"I wish I could just get out of here already...' _

She was having difficulty looking happy, luckily though it seemed the older ones were too engrossed in themselves to notice, with the exception of Casey who

eyed her carefully as she sat down alongside Pansy who was gushing over how unique her hair was. "Why did you dye it though? I would kill to have

beautiful blonde hair like that..."

"It gets old...trust me..." She glanced around the room seeing a lot of kids around her age "Are these all Hogwarts students or something?"

Theo nodded "Yeah, it's for alumnae and current students and their parents to celebrate winning the wizarding war...pretty boring really...but it helps raise

money to bring Hogwarts back to its original state before the second wizarding war..."

"That was like nine or ten years ago...it's taking that long? Y'all are wizards' and shit...won't a wave of the wand do the trick?"

"Normally...but dark magic tends to destroy things permanently..."

"Oh..." Alex replied quietly and fidgeted in her seat. Casey leaned across the table towards Alex "You aren't going to have a panic attack are you? You look a

little flushed..."

Alex's eyes widened and she glanced around at the others who weren't paying attention "Does everyone know about me?" a note of worry was in her voice.

Casey shook his head "No, just me. Draco came to me to find out a bit more on your condition...since I'm the only person he knows going to a muggle

university to work in the psychology field, he figured I might know something..."

She tried to ignore the buzzing in her ears, but was having difficulty. The fact that a stranger knew about her problems just made it worse. The ballroom

suddenly felt cramped and tiny. She was having trouble catching her breath. Seeing her brother out on the dance floor with Hermione just made her feel even

worse. _"I can't have one of these now...I need to stop this...I can't have all these people thinking I'm a freak..." _

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Alex snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. "Do you smoke?"

He blinked at her a few times and looked around making sure the others didn't hear her "I do...why?"

"Can you take me outside? I have some questions myself..."

**(Phew! Finally done with this chapter! I will be continuing on with where I left off. Sorry it's a cliffhanger of a sort...it was just getting really long. Oh, and I think I settled on Adam Brody being Theo, Nicholas Hoult being his brother Casey. I'll post a link for the character pictures in my next chapter. Hope you guys like it!) **


	14. Hurt: Part 2

**(I'm not sure how to put links to websites here. So I will post the Photobucket album of characters on my profile. As a typical warning, this chapter **

**will contain swearing and adult themes and situations. If you don't like it, move along. )**

**Chapter Fourteen: Hurt: Part 2 **

**I wear this crown of thorns  
Upon my liar's chair  
Full of broken thoughts  
I cannot repair  
Beneath the stains of time  
The feelings disappear  
You are someone else  
I am still right here **

**What have I become **  
**My sweetest friend **  
**Everyone I know goes away **  
**In the end **  
**And you could have it all **  
**My empire of dirt **  
**I will let you down **  
**I will make you hurt **

**If I could start again **  
**A million miles away **  
**I would keep myself **  
**I would find a way**

** ~Johnny Cash**

Alex sat down on the last stone step of the Castle her and Casey just walked out of. She glanced back and whistled loudly, shaking her head "I don't know

why anyone wants to live in places like this...and I thought the place my parents live is cold and depression...can't imagine who lives here..." She kicked at a

rock with her cowboy boots she refused to change. Compared to the other guests Alex stood out wearing a simple short-sleeved pale blue country dress that

had a mod retro feel to it. Casey leaned against a stone pillar and laughed slightly "Actually this is my parents ancestral home..."

Alex looked up at him wide-eyed "Shit...I'm sorry..."

He waved it off "Don't worry...I hate the place myself, but of course my mother and father had to offer to have the Victory ball here...you know, to show we

learned from our mistakes...and wish to celebrate Voldemort's downfall..."

"Sounds like a hoot..." Sarcasm oozed from her. She sat there quietly tapping her feet on the gravel till she glanced up and saw Casey take a pack of

cigarettes from inside of his dress robes. "Can I have one?"

Casey looked at her and chuckled "You're joking right? You don't look like the type to smoke. You're a kid..."

Alex shot him an angry look "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You're the second person today who has said something like that to me.

How do you know who I am or what type of person I am?"

Casey handed her a cigarette and lighter and watched her light up. "Jesus...You definitely are a firecracker..." She took a long drag of the cigarette, managing

to only cough slightly.

"You know I have a friend who started smoking when she was ten?" She paused at the baffled look on Casey's face "A lot of people

where I'm from, smoke and drink young...it's not right...I guess...it's just something that happens..."

"You're life is a country song huh?" He joked.

"Oh, yes...I'm just your average Taylor Swift..." Rolling her eyes, she took another drag.

"So...a Panic Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...that's a lot to take for someone your age...along with being a prodigy..." He whistled loudly.

Alex shrugged "I'm finding new ways to cope every day..." She picked up a rock and tossed it into the darkness, and gave him that famous Malfoy smirk. "So

you know a lot about what I have right?"

Casey sat down next to her and shrugged his shoulders as he took a drag of his own cigarette "I only know what I have read about. It's more than most

wizards know though. My family wasn't too keen on me leaving England to continue my education with muggles no matter how much they claimed they have

changed."

"My parent's obviously have no choice...I was raised a muggle. I don't fit into this scene..."

Casey nodded in agreement "That makes two of us kid. I hated Hogwarts...I just felt like I was being polished for the ministry like pretty much every wizard

who wasn't a writer or amazing quidditch player."

"It's not much different in the muggle world...people just assume because your smart, you're always going to be so sweet and bookish and socially awkward..."

Alex picked up another rock and threw it with more momentum. "Then of course the stupid routines and ticks I have that make me look like a weirdo..."

"Oh?" He replied casually, pretending ignorance. One of the first things he noticed when he came out here with her was the way she hopped down the stairs

making sure she only used six. She was also tapping her foot in intervals of six.

"Don't play stupid, I see you analyzing me..." Alex said scornfully and she flicked the cigarette butt.

"Sorry..." He apologized "I did notice, but it doesn't make you look weird..."

"On top of all of this...I have to sit by my aunt's side...watching her slowly die...I just want to forget about it all. Forget who I am, if only for a while..."

Casey glanced behind them, noticing that some of the guests were heading out, ready to leave. He took that as a cue to usher Alex back to her parents.

Standing up, he took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. "There's no way to forget who you are...unless you somehow figure out how to live two

lives..." He joked. "Come on, your parents and overprotective brother will wonder where you are..."

"I think Draco is pretty preoccupied with Hermione at the moment." She said with a smirk, her mind wandered to what he had said to her. _"There's no way to _

_forget who you are...unless you somehow figure out how to live two lives...' _

_0000_

_Two hours later_

"I really don't think I should drink anymore..." Hermione slurred as she pushed her wineglass away, feeling rather embarrassed she let herself get this drunk

with Draco of all people. Draco set his fire whiskey down and shook his head, not bothering to conceal his devilish grin.

"Oh, come on Hermione. I think everyone is drinking..." He glanced around the room to see Alex up by some of the members of the Weird Sisters with one of

their guitars' in hand, playing a simple country tune singing sleepily. " _Oh, I'll twine with my mingles and waving black hair, with the roses so red and the lilies so _

_fair,And the myrtles so bright with emerald pale and the leader and eyes look like blue..I'll dance, I will sing and my laugh shall be gay. __I will charm every heart_

_ and each crown I will sway, w__hen I woke from my dreaming, my idols were clay. __All portions of love had all flown away." _

Draco turned to Hermione to find her staring at him cautiously. "You drive me crazy when you act like this Granger..."

Hermione bit her bottom lip and blinked a few times "What do you mean?"

He sighed impatiently and gave her a knowing look. "This hot and cold attitude you always have towards me. It gets really annoying. I know you want me. I

can tell by the way you act, yet you try to tell yourself it's wrong. Still holding onto the past..." He waited for Hermione to come back with a rude remark, but

she just stared at him nervously, grabbing the bottle of wine and her glass. Draco took this opportunity to leaned in towards her and continue. "You should

come home with me tonight..."

Hermione laughed and took a long sip "You are such a man whore Malfoy. I don't feel like being a one night stand, thank you very much."

"Who said you will be?" He asked seriously.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe it's just a feeling. You do that to every girl you have been with."

He shrugged "They weren't you..."

She wanted to curse herself for getting into this position. She knew that he had a silver tongue that sent women, falling to their knees. Yet, here she was

drinking herself further into an oblivion. There was no voice of reason, telling her to stop and run away. She looked at him attentively with curiosity, as to

whether he was playing mind games, or if this was an actual confession from him. He too was pretty trashed; three sheets to the wind, his sister would say.

Hermione made a decision she was unsure if she would regret or not.

0000

"It seems Draco has taken to Miss Granger over there..." Narcissa commented to her husband as she watched the two apparate from the ball together.

Lucius sipped his wine and made a tisk sound "He is a womanizer...though I wish he would have chosen to go home with the girl we want him to marry..."

"You mean the girl _you _want him to marry..." His wife corrected gently. He gave her a scowl and returned his gaze to his young daughter who looked as

if she were about to topple over from exhaustion as she sat in a chair with Kirly Duke's guitar "_Oh, he taught me to love him and called me his flower_

_That was blooming to cheer him through life's dreary hour. how I long to see him and regret the dark hour. He's gone and neglected this pale wildwood flower."_

"I think we better call it a night...your daughter is starting to show her muggleness..." He commented nonchalantly. Narcissa's lips turned upward in a small

smile "My daughter? Her behavior mirrors yours more than myself..."

0000

Alex woke when she felt herself being lowered onto her bed. Opening one eye she saw her father pulling a blanket over her. "How did I get to my room?" She

mumbled in a confused voice.

Lucius was just about to leave the room when she spoke. He stopped and turned to look at her. "I carried you. For a genius, you are rather rusty with logic."

"Only when I'm asleep..." She rolled over on her stomach and pulled the pillow over her head. "Hey, can you turn on that radio. I can't sleep without music..."

_Lucius_ sighed impatiently as he walked over to her dresser where her Ipod playing was. "Such an overly indulged child..." He muttered as he pressed the

arrow symbol on the object, assuming that meant play. "_I fall to pieces,each time I see you again. I fall to pieces. How can I be just your friend? You want me to act_

_ like we've never kissed. You want me to forget (to forget). Pretend we've never met (never met), And I've tried and I've tried, but I haven't yet_. _You walk by and I fall to_

_ pieces..." _

"Must all these muggle country songs be so depressing?" Lucius said to himself in a disgruntled tone.

"You think that's sad...you should hear me and Charlie Weasley sing Whiskey Lullaby sometime..." He turned to find Alex sitting up observing him.

He arched an eyebrow and looked at her in aversion. "I can imagine how a song about alcohol would be sad..."

"Actually it's about two lovers...the girl broke the man's heart, he turned to whiskey, and one night he shot himself in the head...years later the girl did the

same thing...unable to rid herself of the guilt and sorrow..."

"A child your age shouldn't be listening to such things..." He protested, then stopped himself. "Though I guess if you think you have the right to run your mouth

like a common sailor...who should I be to tell you what to listen to."

Alex looked at him and snorted "That's a lie, you like control and it kills you that you can't control me like you can Draco and mother..." She laid back on the

pillow and crossed her arms over her chest.

Lucius knew by that look on her face that she was challenging him. "I must admit that it displeases me to no end that you were brought up like _this_, but I have

come to terms that you are very close with your aunt...You are a creäture of habit, like myself. The thought that something is going to change sends you into

a frenzy. Your grandfather was very much like you...plagued by routine and involuntary reactions..."

"Is that why you made her do it?" Alex sat up slowly and crossed her legs Indian style. There was no sarcasm in her voice, this time. Her eyes were solemn

and serious.

"Do what?" He was genuinely confused at what she was trying to get at.

"Made my mother give me to my aunt..."

Lucius was waiting for this confrontation to come sooner or later. He just expect that he would brush her off and ignore her. Guilt and remorse was the last

thing he wanted to feel, but seeing that torn look on her face made him sit down on the bed beside her. "I made a lot of mistakes during the war...but I now

realize giving you up was probably the worst. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think of you often...I broke your mothers' heart, and I fear I will never be able to

atone for what I have done."

Alex definitely didn't expect him to say that to her. It was scary to see someone like Lucius, look so...human. She reached over and placed her hand over his

"I don't think I would have been able to thrive and be what I am today if you hadn't, so thank you..."

Lucius regained his composure and coughed slightly "Well, yes...I think you better go to sleep now. It is very late..." He helped her back under the covers and

hastily brush a few stray hairs from her face. He then got up and headed out the door "I'll leave you to your sad music..."

"It's Patsy Cline..." She burrowed herself deeper under the covers.

"Oh, yes...before I forget..." He stopped a pulled his wand out and pointed at her hair muttering an incantation. Alex blinked and grabbed a piece of her hair

and glared at him. It was back to her original platinum. "It took me five hours to do that..." She complained, but was too tired to actually be mad.

"Then that should teach you a lesson. Don't do that to your hair again..." He warned. "Goodnight..."

"Night...dad..." She said slowly and flipped back onto her stomach, turning out the light as she fell asleep to Patsy Cline's voice. "_If you got leavin' on your mind_

_Tell me now, get it over Hurt me now, get it over If you got leavin' on your mind. If there's a new love in your heart. Tell me now, get it over_

_Hurt me now, get it over. If there's a new love in your heart..."_

**(So I got this chapter out faster than I expected! Hope you guys like it! It's gonna be a while before I have the next one...at least a week or so.**

**The next chapter will be titled: Landslide)**


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